The Palestinian town of Beth Jala, located near Bethlehem, marked the 100th anniversary of its Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with a festive concert of sacred music, highlighting the enduring Christian presence in the Holy Land.

The anniversary event took place on Sunday evening and was organized by the local Arabic-speaking Orthodox community with the participation of the choir of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. According to Orthodox Times, citing the press service of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the concert featured Christmas hymns performed in Greek and Arabic.

The celebration was also linked to the completion of restoration work in the church’s lower chapel, which is dedicated to St. Nicholas. Numerous parishioners attended the service and concert, along with clergy of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church and representatives of local authorities and the Palestinian administration.

Jerusalem Patriarch Theophilos III was present at the event and addressed the congregation. In his remarks, he emphasized that church music, amid the ongoing hardships faced in the Holy Land, remains a source of hope and a testimony to Christian unity. He noted that shared prayer and hymns sung in different languages reflect the spiritual oneness of believers in Christ and help sustain inner peace and faith.

The Church of St. Nicholas in Beth Jala belongs to the Jerusalem Orthodox Church and is considered one of the city’s oldest Christian sites. Local tradition holds that monastic life existed at this location as early as the beginning of the 4th century. Fifth-century documents mention a large monastery with churches dedicated to St. George the Great Martyr and St. Nicholas, which was destroyed in the 14th century. The present church building was constructed by the local Orthodox community between 1921 and 1925 on the site of an earlier храм.

Beneath the church lies an ancient crypt dating to the 5th–6th centuries, preserving elements of Byzantine mosaic work. According to local tradition, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker himself practiced ascetic life there during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land in the early 4th century. These traditions have made the church an important pilgrimage destination for Orthodox Christians.

St. Nicholas is regarded as the heavenly patron of Beth Jala. Numerous local legends are associated with his intercession, including accounts of protection during times of war. Each year on December 19, the feast day of St. Nicholas, pilgrims from across the region gather in Beth Jala for church services, processions, choir concerts, and public celebrations marking the city’s enduring devotion to the saint.