Is the oldest Christian church in the world. During the Persian invasion in 614 AD, while all of the other Constantinian built churches were being razed to the ground this Church was spared. Both the interior and exterior on the Church were renovated by Emperor Justinian in the early part of the 6th century, and then once again restored by the Crusaders. In 1333 AD the Franciscans were allowed to reside and to pray in the Church. the Church of the Nativity together with the Holy Sepulcher Church are regarded as Status Quo Churches and hence, are jointly administrated by the Franciscans (Latins) the Greeks and the Armenian Orthodox Communities. The forty - four columns on either side of the Church are eighteen feet high and are from the Justinian period. As one looks up on the two sidewalls, one can see the remains of the gold mosaics from the Crusader period. In the foreground is the main altar of the Greek Orthodox community. It was built over the actual cave or grotto where the birth of Jesus took place. The steps leading down to the grotto from the entrance on the right was the original entrance. Latter on, a second set of stairs were built on the left which is the present exit.