The overwhelming smell of urine was the first thing to hit visitors to
Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity after the dramatic and bloody 39-day
siege of the compound by the Israeli army.
I can't believe this is the
house of God, just look at it
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Palestinian Christian Sandy Shahin
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Local Palestinians rushed to the
building after the militants holed up there had gone and Israeli forces
conducted a security sweep of the building.
The people found dirty dishes piled up on an altar and filthy blankets
and the detritus of the siege strewn across the ancient stone floor.
But apart from the stench and these superficial blemishes, the basilica
marking Jesus' traditional birthplace was found to be largely unscathed.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarch (right) inspected the damage
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As well as the blankets, journalists
saw mattresses, lemon peel, lighters, sunglasses, a tube of toothpaste, a
bottle of aftershave, plastic bags, cigarette butts, a comb and large
cooking pots in the central aisle.
A metal stove and gas canisters had been placed on one side for
cooking.
The panes of several windows near the ceiling were broken, but there
appeared to be no other damage.
The only serious damage was to a Franciscan study hall next to the
church which had been gutted by a mystery fire - and a statue of the
Virgin Mary in the courtyard hit by a bullet.
Pristine
By contrast, the small birth grotto, supposed to mark the exact
birthplace of Jesus, was in pristine condition.
The church hopes to return now to its purely spiritual
function
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Priests said some of the gunmen and
foreign activists had initially slept there because it was the warmest
spot, but had been persuaded to leave so that daily services could be held
there.
One priest complained that foreigners who had slipped in during the
siege had desecrated the church by smoking and drinking alcohol.
"This is the place where Jesus was born. I can't believe this is the
house of God, just look at it," said Sandy Shahin, a Roman Catholic
teenager who rushed into the church minutes after the end of the siege on
Friday.
"It's not a church any more, it's a place filled with beds and trash,"
she said between sobs.
Sanctity protected
Father Nicholas, a Franciscan priest from Mexico, denied Israeli claims
that the several dozen nuns and priests who had stayed in the compound
during the siege were hostages.
"We were there by choice," he said, to protect the sanctity of the
site.
The various denominations argued over whether to allow
Israeli forces to enter
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Having initially expropriated precious
items such as candelabras, icons and candlesticks, Father Nicholas said
the valuables were later returned.
Israeli bomb experts swept the church at the request of some of the
priests and said they found 40 explosive devices, several booby-trapped
and hidden in corners and behind cupboards.
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