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"O
Little Town of Bethlehem"
by Paul McGehee. A moonlit view of the ancient city of Bethlehem,
birthplace of Jesus Christ, as it appeared in the 19th century. Located
about 6 miles from Jerusalem in the Palestinian West Bank region,
Bethlehem has through the years been the subject of religious
scripture, upheaval, legend, war, separatism and unity. Above all, it
is where the Christmas story began, and is a popular annual pilgrimage
for many. Entering Bethlehem one can visit the tomb of Rachel, wife of
Jacob and a matriarch of the original tribes of Israel. It is an
ancient holy site revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. At the
heart of the old city is Manger Square where one can find the Church of
the Nativity and the towering Mosque of Omar. The Church of the
Nativity, which dates back to 565, houses The Grotto containing the
cave in which the birth of Jesus of Nazareth is thought to have
occurred. According to the writings of Saint Justin, "Joseph took up
his quarters in a certain cave near the village; and while they were
there Mary brought forth the Christ and placed Him in a manger, and
here the Magi who came from Arabia found Him." The Church of the
Nativity (jointly maintained by Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and
Armenian Apostolic authorities) is today visited by thousands from all
over the world each year, especially at Christmas. On the evening of
December 24th people gather in Manger Square to sing carols, leading up
to the midnight service. One particular Christmas Eve in 1865, a 30
year old clergyman and writer from Boston named Phillips Brooks was
among the many celebrants at Manger Square. As he related in a letter
after the event: “I remember especially on Christmas Eve, when I was
standing in the old church at Bethlehem, close to the spot where Jesus
was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with the
splendid hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I
could hear voices that I knew well, telling each other of the
'Wonderful Night' of the Saviour's birth.” The memory of that visit
became the song "O Little Town of Bethlehem" which he wrote a few years
later. "O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie," begin
the lyrics, "above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go
by." The beautiful song continues by painting a word picture of peace
and faith as seen through the eyes of one in the city of Bethlehem. The
song is sung to this day and has become one of the classic Christmas
carols of all time. "O Little Town of
Bethlehem" is faithfully
reproduced as an archival-quality print from McGehee's original color
pencil drawing issued in a limited edition of only 500
pieces, each hand-signed by the artist.
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