Day 3 - Oct 1 (Thursday)

Drive to Betlehem (House of bread). OT reference to Betlehem is the place where Jacob's wife Rachel was buried.

Church of Nativity is the oldest, from 6th century untouched. Persians found the pictures of the three Magi, who looked familiar to them, so they did not destroy it.

St. Saava Monasery - established in .........
St. Sava became a monk at the age of 11, later he wanted to live a solitary life. But others came to live with him. St. John of Damascus lived here.

The monastery was a unifying presence between all Orthodox traditions (syriac in the north, Alexandria in Egypt, Constantinople). The typicon used in the Orthodox Church today came from St. Savva's monastery, it's a monastic (vs cathedral) typicon.

Hebron - in Arabic means the city of the friend of God.

Oak of Mamre:
In Hebron we visit the oak tree where Abraham received the three young men, the site of the "Hospitality of Abraham". The church near the oak tree was built by Archimandrite Kapustin. The main church here is dedicated to the Forefathers; the right altar to the Trinity and the left altar to St. Nicolas.

After dinner we rest and get ready for the midnight Liturgy at the Holy Sepulchrar.

The Liturgy is served on Golgotha. Fr. Sergei and Fr. Meletios concelebrated, with the service in Greek.