Clarification: At 2:30 in the video I wasn't referring to the story of Jesus as being a myth, since there is a lot of historical evidence to support the possibility that Jesus existed. I was only referring to the story of King Herod ordering all of the male children in Bethlehem to be killed, which might not have actually occurred: "...a majority of Herod biographers, and probably a majority of biblical scholars, hold the story to be myth or legend." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_the_Innocents
Well, it was prophecy, that when the messiah was born, Bethlehem will cry for their babies, and how theologians, try to fit their narrative, just saying, imagine having a time machine and seem the horror of those babies and children under 2 been kill, wait that happens even now. They always covered what is not convenient for them, I totally support your view
Actually, no historical evidence of Jesus ever existing has been found so far. There were a lot of "messiahs" running around at the time, but no historians of the time ever mentioned him specifically.
@@banto1 Depends what you consider "of the time". 60 years after Jesus's death, the historian Josephus mentioned him, though it was possibly faked as the small reference makes no sense in context.
@@banto1😂 you’re insane. That statement is offensive to Christians, I also believe my Muslim brothers and sisters would take offense to this statement as well! 🤦♂️ 🤫
I don't know how i came across this video but wow!! Very nice!! I am a Palestinian Christian born in Bethlehem back in December of 1978. My mom wanted a Christmas baby and delivered me just in time at st. Joseph's hospital. My best story!!❤
Bethlehem is an amazing place to visit, the people are very friendly and welcoming. I felt very emotional when visiting the holy sites in Bethleham and Jerusalem. And count myself fortunate to experience, visiting the holy sites the feeling will stay with me forever. So tragic that there is much unrest in the the area.
@@SHOTBYWAVO yan I know it’s Christian (those who believe Christ). However I am asking where it situated in which country - Israel (Jews )or in Palestine (Muslim)
Wow! Incredible! Bethlehem is one of my ultimate bucket list destinations. Today is such a fitting day to post this video because in the Catholic religion today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary. Thank you so much for sharing. Love your videos!
Gosh, Gabriel you couldn't have picked a more appropriate day. Today, August 15 th is actually the Saints Day of the Virgin Mary! It's widely celebrated in your beloved Greece and Cyprus as one of the biggest holidays of the year!
I was very blessed to visit most of these places back in 2019 before the pandemic struck. Israel is beautiful and Bethlehem was no exception. Thank you for the video tour Gabriel. God bless!
Gabriel you are the most consistently entertaining of all the utube travelers. Always a surprise around the corner and we get to go along. Keep up the great work you do and let’s all explore.🤗🏆🥇❤
Hi Gabriel, all I can say is a big fat WOW. This must be one of your best adventures so far! It has made me quite emotional. Also great and very fitting choice of music there. Bethlehem reminds me of Malta a bit because of the sandstone although the style of architecture is different. Btw, I really like how you interact with people, always being friendly and respectful to everyone from different cultures & religions wherever you are in the world. It's really lovely to see. Keep it up and happy travels :)
That was so cool Gabriel to walk through the old streets of Bethlehem filled with so much History and to see the old buildings and churches that was an Awesome Adventure Watching from New Brunswick Canada.🙂
A fascinating video Gabriel. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I always wanted to visit the Holy land. Thanks you for this, it's awesome. So much history and so many ancient buildings. Take care and keep safe. Greetings from Queensland, Australia
Absolutely loving this series Gabe, When i visited Jerusalem i didn't make Bethlehem as was ill that day, So good to see you there. A wonderful part of the world. Hope you are well. John
Dear Gabriel thank 😂you so much for this your painstaking tour, to show us the holy places we would not have been able to visit. May the Lord bless and guide you in all your endeavors. I love all your shows.
I’ve followed you for a long time. This is definitely one of my favorites. I know I will never visit there, so thanks for taking us to Bethlehem (better than Greece). But all your vlogs are excellent. A faithful viewer. ❤
oh Man! one of your best videos ,10 out of 10...you are giving an unbiased view of the place and showing people ,friendly and welcoming- even dodgy taxi drivers as else where...been waiting all day for this,and not disappointed ...now we wait for the bible- brigade adding their view points and your early " myth " comment,and not hearing the full content...cannot wait for tomorrows vid..keep up the good work
The sites to see there, a place to surely visit. I'm grateful to be able to see where Jesus was born, that was the highlight for me. You do a wonderful job bringing these amazing far away places to view. Such fascinating and interesting sites, contrary to what they say about the West Bank. I totally enjoyed this. Thanks again, safe travels.
Most of these places were invented locations by the Arabs to make money from the Roman tourists 1,500 years ago. No one knows for sure where the actual locations are.
Been fortunate to have been to Israel an Jordan twice and visited all the sites mentioned in your videos. Loved The West Bank / Bethlehem and Dead Sea . Maybe I missed it but you didn’t go to Masada which is also a fascinating site. So glad I have made memories of that country which may not be possible for a while with the current situation so sad for the Palestinians 😢
Nice that Gabe showed us how you deal with the agressive vendor/sales people in a respectfull matter. He just stepped out of his hotel room and everyone try to sell something it looks like.
It's the off-season for Bethlehem so now is a good time to visit. You'll find cheaper hotel prices. It's no hotter there than any other place in the Mediterranean during the summer & it's a dry heat. You can take a bus or shared taxi van from Jerusalem. If you take a private taxi insist on the meter. It shouldn't cost more than 100 shekels or about $30.
7:05 You mention Constantine's key role in the origin of the Church of the Nativity. Indeed, he and his mother were instrumental in converting Jerusalem into a Christian site which opened up religious tourism. Before the 4th century, Jerusalem was a pagan city with temples devoted to Aphrodite and other pagan deities. This happened after 70 CE when the Roman essentially razed the city to the ground during the Jewish rebellion. A truly fascinating history.
I can't usually watch right when these are posted but I always open to check the length. I let out an audible "yes!" Today with a small fist pump lol. Can't wait to chill out and watch later, thanks man!
Awesome video Gabriel from start to finish.. Enjoyed the visit to where Jesus was Born. Great to walk around and just see what Bethlehem streets look like. Great job, stay safe Gabe… 😃👍
There were too many people crowded around the 'manger' with another guide talking loudly in another language. It was very difficult to feel anything in such a holy place. Still an amazing experience.
Gabe, citizen of the world, the taxi driver was right, i thought the same when you tried on that arab scarf in your previous video, you look like an Arab, i can picture you in a full arabic costume. Great video, awesome building you stayed in. The whole area there has a certain vibe of course.🙏✌✨
Bethlehem is fascinating. From Jerusalem, it will be easier to get a bus to Hebron. You can take the local bus right near the Damascus door. It will drop you right in Hebron, from there you can take a local taxi and arrange the day with the driver, it's a room to bargain the fare, support a Palestinian work, I had a great experience doing that, besides traveling in the local bus route is an authentic experience. Hebron is hectic but interesting. Don't miss Banksy work in Bethlehem. His famous art with the man throwing a bouquet of flowers is right behind a mechanic garage.
Gabriel. This is so beautiful. Thank you for your visit. May God bless you for showing the world those holy places. Please let us know if you will ever go yo Egypt. There is lots of History there as well. Lots of monasteries. 🤗
Great video again Gabriel !!! 😀😀😀 You have never visited the holy city of Medugorje in Bosnia & Herzegovina, the place of apparitions of the Virgin Mary !!! 😀😀😀
I haven’t gone through all of the comments but in case you didn’t know, or no one else commented, 17:07 many of the columns in the main entrance of the church have etchings scratched into the columns of names and drawings done by the crusaders. I found that so interesting. The main altar belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church, the small chapel to the right of the main altar belongs to the Armenians, I believe, and the chapel to the left of the main altar belongs to the Roman Catholics.
Very interesting tour of Bethlehem. I've seen so many horror stories about cabbies from other youtubers that cold approach in other countries that I wouldn't trust the cabbie at 5:00 either. If I can't call them using the uber app or some other well known taxi app, I would never chance it.
Cicadas remind me of summer. I thought they were everywhere, though I guess I don’t remember hearing them in Belgium. They are singing their songs loud and clear in Michigan right now, as usual! Lemon and mint is so good together! 😋 I’m not Christian but the stories around it are very interesting and the sites are, to use your word, intense!
They definitely aren't everywhere but are in other parts of the world. The ones in the Mediterranean have a specific sound. I've heard them in Thailand but they sound very different. In Michigan is it crickets you're hearing? Because they sound different from what you hear in this part of the world.
@@GabrielTravelerVideos I moved from cicada-free UK to Japan and will never forget the first time I heard the cicadas chorus. Mind-blowing at first, now it feels like the sound of summer. Love this latest video, Gabriel. It's one of your best. Safe travels!
@@GabrielTravelerVideos No. They are cicadas. They sound just like the ones in your videos of Greece. …at least as far as I can discern via digital transmission. Perhaps if I heard them in person I might hear slight differences. I love the sound. Some people are bothered by it. It certainly can be loud. Wow! I dug a little. Cicadas are fascinating creatures! Many, many varieties across the globe, including both Belgium and the UK (though sparse)! The ones I hear in Michigan are usually the “Dog Days” variety. Heard them in other states as well - or something very similar.
Great job Gabe, really enjoyed this and seeing the history of this region. I like the one stranger you spoke with, but I'll take California over Miami any day.
Wowwww My dream travel destinations 😍♥️ The birth Holy Place Of Our Lord God 🙏♥️ Jesus Christ, Wish to Visit there Soon and to Explore This Wonderful Place thank u so much sir Gabe for your wonderful walk around tour video Godbless from the Philippines 🇵🇭🙏🙂♥️ 👏👏👏👏👏👍
Gabriel, not sure if you have done this, in the City of David there is a water tunnel tour, seems like it took 20 min. to walk, will need flashlite and exspect to get wet.
Fantastic content capturing the beating heart of one of humanities greatest delusions , going there for non religious reasons must have been intense , respect Gabriel
For some reason people in other countries tend to think that everybody coming from the western world is rich. I’m Bosnian living in Sweden but when traveling abroad I always say that I’m coming from Bosnia; otherwise, if I say that I’m from Sweden people charge me twice as much. Once I was in Monastir, Tunisia, where I was interested in some purses for my wife. The first price I was offered was 300 dinar but when I started speaking Arabic that I learned as a student in Qatar, local guy working in the market thought I was Palestinian or Syrian. When I told him that I’m actually coming from Bosnia he dropped the price to 50 dinar 😂 but it’s even more ridiculous what he said when I was leaving his shop. He said, my brother 300 dinar is only for the Americans 😂 Gabriel, my advice to you would be: never reveal that you’re coming from 🇺🇸 Instead, try to speak broken English, change the accent if you’re good at it etc.
Or just pay the difference. They need that relatively small amount of money more than an average American , and it’s really not that much in the scheme of things.
Hi Gabriel, fascinating day traveling the West Bank it was just awesome to see the birthplace of Jesus and just an incredible amount of history. You can go in any direction and find a historic area. It seems that taxis anywhere in the world are just scammers, it's such a cutthroat industry. It's gotten worse because of Uber which destroyed the purchasing of the medallion cabs which cost over 100,00 USD. Even the hotel industry is in major trouble with Airbnb reinventing these businesses.
SWEET JESUS HAS LITERALLY SAVED MY LIFE OVER AND OVER AGAIN "PRAY WITHOUT CEASING." PRAY WITH FERVOR EVERY PLEA AND PETITION AND FIRST TTHE CRIES HE WILL HEAR AND ANSWER BACK WITH HIS GRACE.
7:30 The wild thing about Justinian is that he was, as you say, the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Emperor but he spoke Latin rather than Greek due to the fact that he was from Northern Macedonia. If memory serves, he could also speak Greek, but with a sharp accent.
