Introduction

The spiritual significance and the historical and artistic importance of the church of the Nativity have been known since its origin when Emperor Constantine erected it, like other Roman basilicas, as a symbol of Christianity and of the new alliance between the Roman Empire and the Church. In fact, in 2008, a specific Committee was established by a decree of President Mahmoud Abbas with the aim of defining contents and methods of implementation of a detailed conservation and restoration program for the whole church. In August 2009 an international call for tenders was issued for studies on the state of conservation of the church and for the definition of a comprehensive conservation and restoration program. The restoration of the church of the Nativity has been and will always be an event of extraordinary cultural, religious and political importance. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.