Welcome to Bethlehem!

The educational, hands-on kid-friendly part of the Nativity Experience is our town of Bethlehem. While you wait for the play or the music concert to start, roam around and see how Hebrews in the 1st century A.D. lived, worked, and played. Our congregation members have researched and brought examples of Bible culture, like these below:

Living in Bethlehem

As a visitor, you'll stop first at the Tax & Census table, to have your party "counted" and tell us how you heard about our event. In 2008 the Hendry family collected can goods for a public food pantry. In 2009, Meghan Shurtz handed out empty bags and prizes for kids who visited every booth and collected beans as tokens of participation.

Peruse this display of photos of Isreal from Ralph & Tina Telford's trip to Bethlehem last Christmas.

Take a minute to mark where you were born on our maps. Emily Ess gathered these maps of the world, the U.S. and Isreal.

In 2008, Liz Cameron (not pictured) sewed several kid and angel costumes, and set up a beautiful red portrait backdrop for people to take pictures in front of. In 2009, Cris Rabbage (in dark blue below) and Nancy Morris (purple) sewed extra costumes for adults and kids to borrow during the night. It's transforming, just putting on a head wrap, walking around in the firelight and listening to Christmas music. Every visitor should go to the tailor booth and learn to dress like the ancient Hebrews; it's fun!

Bring a camera, and we'll take a picture of you or your family sitting around a Hebrew dinner table, or by the stable or animals. Last year we offered a full-costume "closet" with all sizes for you to dress in for a family photo. Great picture for yearly Christmas cards. And Lottie, you look like you jumped straight out of the Bible--thanks for modeling for us!

Halfway around the circle of booths, you'll see a one-room replica of a Hebrew home. It was designed after real homes excavated in Nazareth, Isreal, dating back to the 1st century A.D. (All the "stones" are recycled styrofoam from SWA's Resource Depot.) Pictured below the missionaries stop for some fun, and wiseman Chris Johnston pose by home. Thanks to the two dozen children, teens, and adults who put their sweat equity into this project last year!

And you can't pass up the "bakery" for food samples that were common in Jesus' time: flatbread and bean spread, cucumbers, peanuts, almonds, grapes, pomegranate, figs, dates, and leafy greens. (If you enjoy cooking and want to help, volunteer to bring items or make our delicious spelt flatbread recipe.)

And how could you live in the desert without oil to cook with and to burn for light? In 2009 Liz Cameron added this booth with olive oil lamps made by girls like Brittany Jacobs in the church youth program. Did you know olive oil was used to heal woulds? and although it's used in oil lamps, it's very safe because it won't ignite or burn by itself without a wick?

Children loved using the Hebrew-English letter key to stamp their names and count modern Israeli pennies.

Working in Bethlehem

Anyone who's molded ceramics or studied scriptures on "the potter's clay" will appreciate this skill. In 2008 even the kids got to try molding playdough to take home. Our wonderful potter Jamsey Schiedel has moved away, so if you have a pottery wheel or know how to throw, contact our booth coordinator (see left sidebar).

And try your hand at carpentry: Dave Robertson last year brought wood planes, carving chisels, and an old-fashioned crosscut saw to demonstrate what Joseph might have done in his profession.

Although Hebrews probably didn't stamp their names into leather wristbands, it's fun to work with leather, similar to what John the Baptist wore. The Norton family made this new booth happen in 2009.

And there's still more! In 2009 Keri Sweetland added weaving . . .

and Carolyn Hendry researched how the Jewish culture in Christ's time weighed and measured goods. She and her husband Brent gave out replica widow's mites and helped kids measure objects in a balance.

Playing in Bethlehem

In 2008 Carolyn Haymond did a lot of research on games played in ancient cultures, including mankala, senet, pick-up sticks, and of course, dreidel.

And the Earl family brought frankincense and myrrh for us to smell, (frankincense was my favorite), gave chocolate 'gold' coins to the kids, and taught us about old Middle Eastern trade routes.

There will be a safe place for your kids to play . . .

And there are always free Christmas poems or the Nativity scriptures scrolled up for you to take home.

There is so much to learn about Bible culture and the customs in the story of the birth of the Savior! If you love studying the scriptures and teaching, or you feel like the Christmas story sounds the same every year, join us in creating a piece of history to enrich our celebration of the Son of God coming to earth.

We haven't even touched temple sacrifices (like the 2 turtle doves brought for Jesus' presention at 8 days old,) fishing, farming, political captivity and leaders of the Jews in the 1st century, tribes of Isreal, and on and on! Contact Josselyn Nielson 801-703-3750 if you are interested in a small or large part building our little town.

We will have a few new surprises this year. Until then, Merry Christmas, and see you Dec 10 or 11, 2010!