Forty days

The symbolism associated with the length of the siege in Bethlehem - 39 days - was not lost on all Christian Palestinians. One woman is quoted by the NYTimes as saying '"I was so crazy, so happy," said Diana Masri, a 45-year-old Orthodox worshiper. "I haven't entered my church for 40 days," she said, bending strict chronology to match the biblical period that Jesus is said to have spent in the wilderness.' Not only is 40 days the period of Christ's wilderness experience, 40 hours is the length of time that Christ was dead before being resurrected, 40 years was spent by the Israelites wandering in the Sinai, and Noah was rained on for 40 days and 40 nights in the Deluge.

Forty symbolizes death, purification, and rebirth. How much this applies to this siege I don't know, but certainly the town of Bethlehem has been resuscitated from a miserable 39 days.