Chapel of the Shepherds' Field

Coordinates: 31°42′26.3″N 35°13′48.4″E / 31.707306°N 35.230111°E / 31.707306; 35.230111
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Shepherds' Field Chapel
Sanctuary Gloria in excelsis Deo
The chapel in 2010
Shepherds' Field Chapel is located in the West Bank
Shepherds' Field Chapel
Shepherds' Field Chapel
31°42′26.3″N 35°13′48.4″E / 31.707306°N 35.230111°E / 31.707306; 35.230111
LocationBethlehem
CountryState of Palestine
DenominationRoman Catholic Church
Architecture
Architect(s)Antonio Barluzzi
Completed1953
Specifications
Number of domes1

The Shepherds' Field Chapel (Arabic: كنيسة حقل الرعاة; Hebrew: כנסיית שדה הרועים)[citation needed], or the Sanctuary of Gloria in excelsis Deo,[1] is a Roman Catholic religious building in Beit Sahour, southeast of Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine.[2][3] The chapel commemorates the annunciation of Jesus' birth to the shepherds,[4] said to have taken place in Beit Sahour.[5]

Biblical relevance[edit]

The Palestinian village of Beit Sahour, next to Bethlehem, has been identified by tradition as the site of the Annunciation to the shepherds – that is, the place where the announcement of Jesus’ birth to shepherds by angels took place.[6] The area close to the church is also identified as the "Valley of Boaz", mentioned in the Old Testament, in Ruth 2:2, as the place where Ruth gleaned grain for herself and Naomi.[7]

In 1858, the remains of a monastery built around 400 A.D. were discovered, on what was called the "Khirbet Siyar al-Ghanem" – the "Ruins of the Sheep Enclosure" or "Ruins of the Sheepfold").[8] The French official responsible for the excavations claimed to have found the three “shepherds’ tombs” mentioned by a pilgrim who visited Beit Sahour around the year 680. Between 1889 and 1906, the Franciscans succeeded in buying the land.[citation needed]

History[edit]

Roman period[edit]

Franciscan archaeologist Virgilio Canio Corbo excavated the site and found caves with evidence of human habitation during the Herodian and later Roman period, as well as ancient oil presses.[9] Corbo used his findings as arguments in favour of the hypothesis that a small community inhabited the site at the time of Jesus' birth.[9] Murphy-O'Connor concludes that the site was occupied during the first century by nomadic shepherds.[3]

Byzantine period[edit]

Over the Roman-period remnants, a Byzantine monastery was built at the end of the 4th century, which went through a second, rebuilding and expansion phase in the 6th.[3] The monastery was destroyed by the Persians in 614 and was not reoccupied afterwards.[3] The remains were destroyed in the 8th century by Muslims who chiseled off the Christian signs from several stones.[9]

Modern church[edit]

The Shepherds' Field Chapel was built by the Franciscans in 1953.[7] It is not far from the Greek Orthodox Der El Rawat Chapel, commemorating the same event.[10] The Catholic chapel is dedicated to Our Lady of Fátima.[11]

Architecture[edit]

The chapel was designed by architect Antonio Barluzzi.[9] A grotto rises up behind the chapel.[12]

It has five apses that mimic the structure of a nomadic tent in gray. The words of the angel to the shepherds are inscribed gold. An image depicting the birth of Jesus can be seen in the place.[13]

Gallery[edit]

  • The chapel
    The chapel
  • Interior
    Interior
  • Fountain in the courtyard
    Fountain in the courtyard
  • Excavations
    Excavations
  • Access alley
    Access alley

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Antonio Barluzzi, el gran arquitecto de la Tierra Santa moderna, "supo traducir en arte los misterios cristianos"" (in Spanish). Fundación Tierra Santa. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Midnight Mass at Bethlehem". Magnificat Media. 2015-12-31. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  3. ^ a b c d Murphy-O'Connor, J. (2008-02-28). The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide from Earliest Times to 1700. OUP Oxford. ISBN 9780191647666.
  4. ^ webit.it. "Bethlehem - The Shepherds' Field and Grotto". Custodia Terrae Sanctae. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  5. ^ webit.it. "Bethlehem - The Shepherds' Field and Grotto". Custodia Terrae Sanctae. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  6. ^ webit.it. "Bethlehem - The Shepherds' Field and Grotto". Custodia Terrae Sanctae. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  7. ^ a b Tilbury, Neil (1989-10-01). Israel, a travel survival kit. Lonely Planet. ISBN 9780864420152.
  8. ^ Al-Houdalieh, Salah; Abu A'mar, Ibrahim; Hamdan, Osama; Bennelli, Carla (2014). Case Study of Beit Sahour, Palestine. In: Archaeological minor sites in the Mediterranean basin, Beit Sahur in Palestine, Gadara in Jordan, Vito Soldana and Finziade in Italy. Jerusalem: Al-Adab Press. Retrieved 16 May 2022. (Fig. 18).
  9. ^ a b c d "Shepherds' Field (via "Bethlehem – Basilica of the Nativity")". Jerusalem: Custodia Terrae Sanctae. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  10. ^ Humphreys, Andrew (1996-01-01). Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Lonely Planet Publications. ISBN 9780864423993.
  11. ^ webit.it. "Bethlehem - The Shepherds' Field and Grotto". Custodia Terrae Sanctae. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  12. ^ webit.it. "Bethlehem - The Shepherds' Field and Grotto". Custodia Terrae Sanctae. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  13. ^ Jenkins, Ferrell (2013-12-25). "Visiting the shepherd's fields near Bethlehem". Ferrell's Travel Blog. Retrieved 2016-05-09.

External links[edit]

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