Of the three sites claiming to be the Shepherd’s Field, the Orthodox Church at Beit Sahour appears to have the greatest amount of archaeological support. Here Dr. Crossland is in front of the Tomb of the Shepherds.

This is one of three caves located at the Catholic shrine of the shepherd’s field. In the foreground of this picture is an ancient baptistery. It is very likely that this cave was used for Christian worship prior to the legalization of Christianity in 313 AD.

Every year on Christmas eve there is a parade through manger square, where Christians youth clubs from all over the west bank present marching bands. Most of these are bagpipe bands. As you can see, we have given you a front row seat in this parade. Most tourists never get the chance to experience Christmas in Bethlehem, but you can do it through The Octagon Project.

There is an entire room in this chapel filled with the bones of both adults and children that were exhumed from nearby graves. According to the teaching of the church, the fact that there were bones of both adults and children mixed together, suggests that parents who were trying to protect their children from Herod’s soldiers also died in the rampage.

Here is another view of the bone room in this chapel. Nearby there is the cemetery from which these bones were discovered.

This photo gives you a panorama of the chapel in which these tiny bones are encased. The display cases with the bones are on the far left.

It doesn’t look like much, but according to a Byzantine tradition, Mary rested on this rock on her journey to Bethlehem just before giving birth to Jesus. This stone was the centerpiece of a great octagonal church called The Kathisma (resting place). The foundation and floor mosaics of this church are still there, and we will give you a complete tour.

Inside the Monastery of Theodosius, about 10 kilometers east of Bethlehem, is a cave. There is an ancient legend the the Magi slept in this cave during the daytime in their attempt to hide from King Herod as they traveled back to their homeland in Persia.

This is another view of the Cave of the Magi. On the left side of this photo there is a box of bones, containing the remains of 30 martyrs who died and were buried here. It is also said that St. Theodosius lived in this cave for many years. His tomb is nearby. Through The Octagon Project, you can enter these caves.

This is the traditional home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph up to the time that they escaped Herod’s murderous guards during the slaughter of the baby boys of Bethlehem. If this is the case, it is also the place where the Magi visited Jesus. The legend of The Milk Grotto recalls a time when Mary spilled a drop of her milk on the floor of the cave, turning the walls and ceiling white.

This is the site of the birth of Jesus, where you will crawl under the altar to see the actual place where Mary gave birth the Son of God. On the right side of this photo are the altars of the manger, and the altar of the Magi.

There are several trap doors in the church that reveal mosaics which were commissioned by St. Helena, the mother of the first Christian emperor, Constantine I. Under this particular trap door was the largest octagon that weve yet discovered in Byzantine mosaic art. Dr. Crossland frequently refers to the the octagon as the ancient symbol which testified of the new life in Christ that His resurrection assures for all believers.

There are three cave systems which are part of this complex, and here Gary Crossland is exploring one of them. We theorize that this particular cave was used by Christian worshippers before the legalization of Christianity. In the virtual reality of The Octagon Project, you will walk through this tunnel.

The plaster lining the walls of this room indicate that it was a cistern, designed to hold water for use during the dryer summer months.

Theodosius was a monk in the fifth century who lived as a hermit in a cave just east of Bethlehem. This is a Greek church, with the beautiful and bold architcture that is common among eastern orthodox churches. In The Octagon Project we will tell you all about St. Theodosius, and why he was so important in the history of the church of Palestine.

On the grounds of the Bethlehem YMCA there is another cave system that hosts Christian pilgrims who wish to worship there. It might be accurately said that the Shepherd’s field is one of the only places in Israel that has shrines from the Catholic, the Orthodox, and the Protestant faiths.