Beit Sahour, a small Christian town east of Bethlehem, is the traditional site of the Shepherds’ Fields, where the angels appeared to shepherds watching their flocks by night and announced the birth of Jesus: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). The shepherds left their flocks and went to Bethlehem, where they found the baby lying in a manger, exactly as the angel had described.
Two Sites
As with many holy sites in the Holy Land, two locations compete for the honor of being the authentic Shepherds’ Field. The Catholic Shepherds’ Field, maintained by the Franciscans, features a chapel designed by Antonio Barluzzi in the shape of a Bedouin tent. The design is intentional: the shepherds were outdoor people, and their chapel should echo the openness of the night sky. The acoustics inside the tent-shaped church are extraordinary, and groups who sing Christmas carols here experience the story in a way that no other building can produce. The cave beneath the chapel is identified as the place where the shepherds sheltered their flocks.
The Greek Orthodox Shepherds’ Field, a short distance away, centers on a 5th-century Byzantine church built over caves that served as shelters. The underground church is atmospheric and ancient, with remnants of mosaic floors and the feel of genuine antiquity.
Both sites are surrounded by olive groves and open fields that preserve the pastoral landscape the Gospel describes. On a quiet morning, with the sun rising over the Judean hills and the sheep still grazing in the fields (yes, there are still flocks here), you understand why this landscape was chosen for the most famous birth announcement in history.
Beit Sahour
Beit Sahour itself is a predominantly Christian town with a strong community identity. The name may derive from the Aramaic word for “watching” or “vigil,” connecting it directly to the shepherds who were keeping watch. The town is known for its olive wood workshops, its churches, and its active cultural life. The residents take pride in their connection to the nativity story, and the hospitality toward visitors is genuine.
Ruth and Boaz: The Love Story in the Fields
The fields around Beit Sahour are also the traditional setting of the Book of Ruth, one of the most beautiful love stories in the Bible. Naomi, a woman of Bethlehem, had moved to Moab with her husband and sons during a famine. When her husband and both sons died, she decided to return to Bethlehem. She urged her Moabite daughters-in-law to stay in Moab, but Ruth refused to leave her: “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16).
In the fields near Bethlehem, Ruth gleaned grain, following the harvesters and collecting what they left behind, a practice that the Torah mandates for the poor: “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you” (Leviticus 23:22). The field belonged to Boaz, a wealthy landowner and relative of Naomi’s late husband. Boaz noticed Ruth and instructed his workers to leave extra grain for her: “Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don’t humiliate her. Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up” (Ruth 2:15-16).
The story moves from the fields to the threshing floor, where Ruth, following Naomi’s instructions, lay at the feet of Boaz at night and asked him to redeem her as a kinsman-redeemer. Boaz, moved by her loyalty and courage, married her. Their son Obed became the father of Jesse, the father of David. The genealogy is extraordinary: David, the greatest king of Israel, descended from Ruth, a Moabite convert who gleaned grain in these very fields. And in Christian tradition, the genealogy extends further: Matthew traces the lineage of Jesus through David, Obed, Boaz, and Ruth (Matthew 1:5). The fields of Beit Sahour, where Ruth gathered grain, are the fields where shepherds later heard the angels announce the birth of her descendant.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
The Shepherds’ Fields are a natural extension of a Bethlehem visit. Hoshen Tours includes both the Catholic and Orthodox sites, and for groups visiting during the Christmas season, the nighttime experience at the fields is unforgettable.