New events surround 2004's 'The Bethlehem Event'

Buy a piece of the Middle East
The King's Bazaar will be available. The market area will offer items directly from the Bethlehem area.
     English member Carmen Gustafson says the marketplace is an attempt to create awareness about the hardships artisans and retailers are facing in the Middle East. Since fewer tourists are going to Bethlehem, Bethlehem artisans are searching ways to come to the tourists. "I applaud these artisans and retailers for their perseverance under such adverse conditions and feel we must help these people continue to work and provide for themselves a sense of dignity and livelihood," she explains. "Setting up and running a small store will only be a drop in the bucket, but it's better than doing nothing at all." Gustafson has been in contact with Holy Land Artisans, based in Waynesville, N.C., to acquire goods for the store.Gustafson expects to sell olive wood ornaments, figures and creches, silver and olive wood jewelry, olive oil, olive oil soap, glass ornaments, ceramic pieces, embroidery, cards, and Ahava Dead Sea lotions, and other items. Prices will range from $2 to $150.
     "I'm excited about the prospect of this whole venture and pray that we can be somewhat successful," she says.

An expanded museum
This year's museum will focus on eight Middle East areas of interest, up from the last event's six:
*Jerusalem: Holy City of Three Faiths - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The three monotheistic religions believing in one God having their roots in one father, abraham.
*Bethlehem: House of Bread. (Bethlehem: "Beit" means house, "lahem" means bread)
*Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh: Gifts to the Christ Child.
*Mount Sinai: Moses, Monks and Monastery.
*The Olive Tree: Symbol of Peace.
*Palestinian Costumes: These Stitches Speak. Dresses which speak a beautiful, aesthetic statement of the human side of the Palestinian people.
*Islamic Arts of the Middle East: Calligraphy, Woven Carpets, Inlaid Woods and Ceramic Mosaics.
*The Spread of Early Christianity in the Middle East: Places of Worship.

'New' home to debut
It's definitely not livable by today's standards, but the new home on the set is a welcome addition.
The 12-foot long home includes one room separated by support pillars. The room height is just under six feet tall because people were shorter than today. Also, the short ceilings help to keep the home warmer in winter.
     The first floor contains an area for the animals, cisterns for holding water, an indoor oven and tools. Cooking tools and other grain preparation are kept in one area. Farming, repair and animal care items are kept on the main floor. Most cooking was done in the courtyard or outside of the home.
     The second story contains the family loom, mats for sleeping and an area to eat. Those living in Bethlehem had very few clothes, so they didn't need closets.
     The roof has a large roller to roll or compact the mud after rain to keep the entire home waterproof. The roof was used for drying food, socializing and worship in warm weather. The windows are few and high off the ground. The home is very dark with little air movement. Doors have leather hinges, even though the hinges could have been metal depending upon the time it was built and the wealth of the family.
     "This period is difficult for archaeologists to understand because much of the material used in construction is gone," explains Donna Fink, organizer of the event. "There is little remaining evidence in Bethlehem, so much speculation is placed on other findings and biblical verse."