Jerusalem, 25 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Restoration work is expected to begin shortly at the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the site revered by Christians as Jesus’ birthplace, according to a joint announcement by the churches of the Holy Land.
“The restoration shall be executed by the Italian firm entrusted with the recent rehabilitation of the Basilica of the Nativity, ensuring continuity in method, craftsmanship, and artistic sensitivity toward a site of unparalleled sacred symbolism. Preliminary preparations are complete, and the works are now on the threshold of commencement,” said the joint announcement of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and the Catholic Church’s Custodians of the Holy Land. The work is being done in collaboration with the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate, they added.
“In addition to the works in the Grotto, the project includes technical reinforcement measures in adjacent sections, reflecting both the architectural unity of the sanctuary and the cooperative spirit that preserves it for the entire world,” the churches said.
No timeline or budget was specified.
Elias Zarina, a Christian from Jerusalem and a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy, told the Press Service of Israel that the initiative is an important continuation of the renovation process of churches in the Holy Land, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
“The Church of the Nativity was neglected for a long time. It is heartwarming to see the Christian communities cooperating to renovate it properly. It brings more tourists to the Holy Land,” he said.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land said that the “preliminary preparations are complete and the works are now on the threshold of commencement,” adding that the conservation and reinforcement works inside the grotto were agreed upon in coordination with the Armenian Orthodox Patriarchate.
The restoration will be conducted by the same Italian firm that carried out the recent rehabilitation of the Basilica of the Nativity above the grotto. Church authorities said this was intended to ensure continuity in conservation methods and sensitivity to the site’s historical fabric. In addition to work inside the grotto itself, the project will include technical reinforcement in adjacent areas structurally connected to the underground space.
The Church of the Nativity is among the oldest continuously used churches in the world. Originally built in the fourth century and rebuilt in the sixth, the basilica has stood at the center of Christian pilgrimage for centuries. Beneath its main altar lies the Grotto of the Nativity, a small cave accessed by narrow stairways, which tradition identifies as the place of Jesus’ birth.
According to historical accounts, the grotto was venerated even before the church was constructed above it. Over time, it became enclosed within the larger structure and shaped into a place of prayer, marked by stone surfaces worn by centuries of use and by lamps maintained by different Christian communities.
The restoration project is being carried out within the framework of a historical status quo that regulates responsibilities and rights among the Christian denominations that share custody of the holy sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Church officials emphasized that cooperation among the communities was essential to advancing the project.
While Christians comprised 11% of the population of the entire Holy Land in 1922, today they account for just 1% of the population in the Palestinian Authority. Christians made up 86% of Bethlehem’s population in 1950. As of 2017, when the last Palestinian census was taken, Christians made up just 10% of the city’s population.
Zarina told TPS-IL in December that since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, on southern Israel, 142 Christian families have emigrated from the Bethlehem governorate.
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