Christ's Birthplace Bethlehem Has Surprising History

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Bethlehem has been the subject of countless carols and Nativity plays, but the real story of the little town is far more complex. Bethlehem had a long history even before it became known as the site of Jesus Christ’s birth. Now it sits at the heart of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. [Find out whether there's historical evidence of the Apostles.]

With Christmas fast approaching, National Geographic reached out to Nicholas Blincoe, author of Bethlehem: Biography of a Town, to explore the legacy of the place where the famous manger lay. [Meet Santa's naughty counterpart.]

Courtesy of Hachette Book Group

The book opens with you arriving in Bethlehem carrying a Christmas pudding. Explain why it captures “something of the essence of Bethlehem”—and how an Englishman ended up on the West Bank.

I met my wife, Leila Sansour, at university in Britain where we were both studying philosophy. She’s a Palestinian from Bethlehem. Her mother’s Russian, her father is Palestinian and was one of a group of academics that founded Bethlehem University.

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