Milk Grotto Chapel, Catholic chapel in Bethlehem, Palestine

The Milk Grotto Chapel is a Catholic chapel in Bethlehem, Palestine, enclosing three natural caves carved from white limestone. The church structure was built around the geological formation, preserving the original rock walls inside.

Franciscan Brothers built the current chapel in 1872 over the remains of a fifth-century Byzantine church. Fragments of mosaic flooring from the earlier building remain visible today.

Women from various religious backgrounds come here seeking blessings for fertility, continuing centuries-old spiritual customs. The white limestone walls are seen as a sign of divine presence and draw pilgrims from across the region.

The chapel opens daily in the morning and afternoon, with closing times varying by season. Visitors should wear modest clothing and be prepared for tight spaces within the cave structure.

The white rock is a soft tufa, and powdered tufa from the grotto was already sent to Europe and Byzantium in the 6th century. Reliquaries holding it include a 7th-century one in Oviedo and an 8th-century Picard reliquary given to Charlemagne. The Bishop of Bethlehem Gerard III carried one at the siege of Ascalon in 1123, and collecting the powder continued until the early 20th century.