Church of the Nativity Located in Bethlehem Church of the Nativity is the oldest church in the Holy Land still in use. Commemorating the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Since St. Helena is believed to have built the Church. Construction began in 326 A.D. Locals' traditions believe the place which Jesus Christ was born was at the end of the village, The cave was encased by an octagonal structure forming the sanctuary of the basilica, which stretched away to the west in five aisles divided by four rows of monolithic columns. The present Church, built during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor,  In 529. The Patriarch of Jerusalem sent St. Sabas to Justinian for help, and the architect sent by the Emperor demolished the church and built the current one. New soil covered the mosaic floor built in 326, and a new pavement was laid at a higher level. When the Crusaders came in the 12th Century, they built a cloister and monastery around the north side of the Church. Yet another restoration project took place between 1165 and 1169, by the Byzantine Empire and the Frankish Kingdom. On April 2, 2002 Armed Palestinian Arab terrorists forced their way into the Church, In the midst of over 200 nuns and priests, they sought refuge from Operation Defensive Shield, the IDF action against suicide bombing activity originating from West Bank locations. For 38 days, the world watched as the gunmen refused to surrender their positions inside the Church. Israeli restraint prevented the Palestinian from turning it into destruction. RETURN