1.  There are many religious and biblical sites in both Nazareth and Bethlehem

2.  Jesus grew up in Nazareth  At the time it was a small village  Here he grew up and was taught to be a carpenter by his father Joseph

3.  In 4 th century AD the Church of the Annunciation was built  It was meant to honor Helena  Helena was the mother of Emperor Constantine

4.  The Basilica of Annunciation had been rebuilt and renamed more than 5 times  Rebuilt due to many invasions

5.  After the Arabian invasion Crusaders came  The Crusaders stayed in the Holy Land until 1187  The city was destroyed

6.  It was believed that Angel Gabriel told Mary that she was to have the Son of God where the church was originally built

7.  The word “Bethlehem” means “House of Bread”  Jesus was born here  Jerusalem is located less than 5 miles from Bethlehem

8.  The Matriarch Rachel is buried here and her tomb is a pilgrimage site till this day  The Nativity Church was built here  It was meant to be an overwhelming site but ended up being “Unimpressive”  Has been reconstructed over time

9.  Bethlehem is sacred to three religions  Judaism, Christianity, and Islam  The Crusaders conquered Jerusalem in 1100

10.  Sites in Nazareth and Bethlehem are very sacred and are said to bring people closer to God  The security in the sacred sites is extremely high due to the fact that religious officials do not want anything to be harmed