Holy Land Christians resisting Greek Orthodox Church's land deals

Jerusalem

BESIDE a nondescript stretch of highway linking Bethlehem to Jerusalem, there's a large shiny rock and a cluster of olive trees. This place, called Kathisma or "seat" in Greek, is said to be where the Virgin Mary rested and drank from a well, not long before giving birth in a stable to Jesus.

Today, the only clue to that history is the ruins of a Byzantine church, with a vibrant mosaic floor peeking through mud and smashed beer bottles. And while the ruins themselves remain in the hands of the Greek Orthodox Church, all the surrounding East Jerusalem property has been leased by the church to an Israeli company, according to municipal records.