Bethlehem and the Christmas Story – Podcast

14 minute podcast in which Dr. Italy describes the town of Bethlehem and the field of the Shepherds at the time of the birth of Christ.  Helps bring the Christmas story alive as we read of the little town that was the city of David. To LISTEN to this post read by Dr. Italy, click on the play arrow on the left directly below this paragraph.

At Christmas we sing “O little town of Bethlehem.”  But what was this town like at the time of Jesus?  And how likely is it that the Church of the Nativity, on Manger Square, is built over the actual birth site of Jesus.  What is it like to enter and explore that church and to descend into the cave that is traditionally regarded as the place where Mary gave birth to Christ?

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Above image of the 4th century mosaic floor of the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, by Marcellino D’Ambrosio. All rights reserved.

Marcellino D’Ambrosio (“Dr. Italy”) has been to Bethlehem nearly thirty times.  In this podcast, he describes not only Bethlehem but the nearby town of Beth Sahour, the site where the angels appeared to the Shepherds guarding their flocks at that first Christmas.  He was there most recently filming the ground-breaking video study of Christ called “Jesus: the Way, the Truth and the Life” now available from Ascension Press.

Above image of the Chapel of the Angels, in Beit Sahour, outside of Bethlehem, by Marcellino D’Ambrosio. All rights reserved.

Listening to this podcast will help you better visualize the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and appreciate the infancy narratives found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.

Dr. Italy appears weekly on the Sonrise Morning show, a production of Sacred Heart Radio.  You can listen to this show broadcast live Monday through Friday via the EWTN Global Catholic Radio, a network of over 120 local affiliate stations in the US.  You can find podcasts from the Sonrise Morning on both Sacred Heart radio site and www.crossroadsinitiative.com.

To subscribe to Dr. Italy’s weekly podcast and never miss an episode, visit http://crossroadsinitiative.libsyn.com/ or the Catholic Heritage with Dr Italy podcasts on iTunes

Banner/featured image of the an altar in one of the Shepherd’s caves, in the Field where the angels appeared outside of Bethlehem, by Marcellino D’Ambrosio. All rights reserved.