With the end of the crusader experience Bethlehem passed definitively under Moslem rule but notwithstanding the difficulties encountered it remained for long centuries the principle Christian enclave of the Holy Land. In 1333 the Franciscans established themselves in Bethlehem in the deserted Augustinian monastery (where they still reside). In 1347 the Franciscans started officiating the Basilica. Till 1637 they could freely celebrate their liturgies, welcome the pilgrims, and whenever the need arose restore the church through the help of the Christian nations with the consent of the Moslem authorities. Later on Bethlehem became an arch bishopric as it is today, for the Greek Church. Bethlehem became poorer and poorer, and the church was fast decaying.

隨著十字軍的結束，白冷正式的歸到穆斯林的統治之下，儘管如此困難仍持續很長的一段時間，聖地的基督徒就像一塊海外飛地受到重重包圍。西元1333年方濟會士們在Augustinian修院的廢墟上建立他們在白冷的團體（他們仍在那邊）。西元1347年他們開始在大殿服務，直到西元1637年，他們可自由的禮儀慶祝，迎接朝聖者，隨時在穆斯林統治者的允許下接受基督教國家的幫助整修聖堂。之後白冷成為一個希臘宗主教區，如同今日。白冷變的越來越窮，教堂也快速的頹圮。

In 1435 the Emperor Alexis IV Comnenus and in 1448 the Duke of Burgundy attempted to persuade the Mamluks to authorise repairs. Both appeals failed. In 1480, however, the Franciscan Custos Giovanni de Tomacellis, obtained permission to renew the roof. Venice sent wood, Edward IV of England supplied the lead, and Philip of Burgundy supplied the craftsmen for the work which was soon completed. The structure was thus preserved but the interior deteriorated until in the end of the 16th century, Felix Fabri described it: "a barn without hay, an apothecary's without aromatic pots, a library without books"

Alexis IV Comnenus皇帝在西元1435年，以及Duke of Burgundy在西元1448年企圖說服Mamluks批准修復，但雙雙失敗。然而西元1480年時監管聖地的Custos方濟會士Giovanni de Tomacellis得到允許將屋頂換新，Venice送來木料，英格蘭王Edeward IV供給鉛，Philip of Burgundy供應工匠使工程得以迅速完成。雖然建築如此的維護但內部仍然殘破，直到十六世紀末，Felix Fabri如此描寫：「一個沒有乾草的穀倉，一個沒有芳香罐的藥鋪，一個沒有書的圖書館。」

With the occupation by the Turks in 1617 looting was openly done. Marbles from Bethlehem can still be seen in the Haram esh-Sherif in Jerusalem. In 1628 the Franciscan Custos, Quaresmi, wrote a detailed description of the church, and this was accompanied by engravings made by another Franciscan, Bernardino Amico, in 1596. This is today the one source of accurate information on the medieval appearance of Bethlehem. The roof of 1480 had almost disappeared in 1670, when the Greek Patriarch got permission to repair it.

西元1617年Turks佔領期間，公開掠奪了聖堂。白冷的大理石仍然可在耶路撒冷的Haram esh-Sherif見到。西元1628年監管聖地的Custos方濟會士Quaresmi為教堂寫了一份詳述，這份記錄伴隨著西元1596年另一位方濟會士Bernardino Amico的雕刻 版畫 engravings是現今想要瞭解中世紀白冷狀況的準確資料。西元1480重修的屋頂，到了西元1670年希臘宗主教得到允許重修的時候，幾乎已經完全不見了。

With the 16th century begins the period of conflict between the Franciscans and the Greeks for the possession of the Sanctuary. Consequently the Basilica passed alternatively from the Franciscans to the Greeks according to the favour enjoyed at the Sublime Porte by the nation which supported the communities. During the war between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice (1646-1669), which ended with the expulsion of the Venetians from the Island of Crete, the Greeks were authorised to renew the roofing of the Basilica and take over the Grotto of the Nativity.

十六世紀開始方濟會士與希臘東正教會間對聖地所有權的抗爭。最終因著the favour enjoyed at the Sublime Porte by the nation which supported the communities，大殿的所有權由方濟會交到希臘教會手中。在Ottoman帝國與Republic of Venice戰爭期間（西元1646到1669年），戰爭結束於Venetians被逐出克里特島，希臘教會被允許更新了大殿的屋頂並接管的聖誕地窟。

In 1690 the Latins retook possession of the Grotto and in 1717 they placed there a new silver star, instead of the old one which had been worn out, with the Latin inscription: "Hic de Virgine Maria a Jesus Christus natus est, 1717". This situation lasted until 1767, when the Greeks took possession once more of the Basilica and, inside the crypt, of the Altar of the Nativity. Between 1810 and 1829 the Armenians succeeded in establishing themselves in the Church, getting the left arm of the transept.

西元1690年拉丁教會得回了地窟的所有權，西元1717年他們安置了新的銀星取代原先已破舊了的那顆，寫著拉丁文：「童貞瑪利亞產下耶穌基督處， 1717」這樣的情況持續到西元1767年，希臘教會再次擁有大殿及有著聖誕祭台的地窖。在西元1810年到1829年間，亞美尼亞教會成功的在教堂中佔有一席之地，得到了左邊的走廊。

The star which by its Latin inscription consecrates the right of the Latins to the ownership of the Altar of the Nativity, disappeared on the 12th October 1847. After five years' negotiations between the French Embassy and the Sublime Porte, the Sultan Abdul Mejid compelled the Greeks to allow a new star to be put in its place in 1868. The firman of the Sultan contained also a guarantee for the Status Quo in the Sanctuaries. Nevertheless, the Franciscans have had since then many times to pay with their blood for the defence of the Sanctuaries.

供奉在拉丁教會擁有的聖誕祭台右側，刻有拉丁文字的那顆星在西元1847年10月12日不見了。經過五年在French Embassy及Sublime Porte間的協調，西元1868年Sultan Abdul Mejid強迫希臘教會允許在原來位置上再放一顆新的星星。Sultan的詔書也包含了對聖所Sanctuaries中的Status Quo的保證。不過方濟會士們仍然多次以他們的鮮血保衛聖所。

On April 26, 1878, a number of Greek orthodox people broke into the Sacred Grotto, maltreating and wounding 8 Franciscans and pillaging the Holy Place, tearing the hangings and carrying off everything that had any intrinsic value, even to the marble slabs that covered the Holy Crib.

西元1878年4月26日，一群希臘東正教徒闖進了聖窟，虐待打傷了八名方濟會士並洗劫了聖地，撕裂了壁毯並帶走了所有值錢的物品，甚至包覆馬槽的大理石板。

Since then, by an order of the Sublime Porte, never cancelled, a policeman is on duty at the Nativity Basilica. Against fire, the walls of the crypt were clothed with a tapestry of amianthus, which depicts the salient facts of the Childhood of Jesus.

在此之後，Sublime Porte下了一道命令，一直有效，一名警察對聖誕大殿負起責任。為了防火，地窖的牆壁掛上石絨的氈帳，上面畫著兒童時期耶穌的重要事蹟。

With the coming of the 17th and 18th centuries, the little town of Bethlehem began to recover as a result of contact with the West even if some visitors complained about their treatment at the hands of the sellers of olive wood and mother-of-pearl souvenirs. Robbery and violence seamed to be the reason why in 1834 Ibrahim Pasha destroyed the Moslem quarter and disarmed the population. Under the Turkish regime the question of ownership and rights took on a political and international outlook. In 1893 the Brother Sacristan was shot and another Friar wounded by a Croatian.

十七、十八世紀後因著和西方世界的接觸，白冷城又重新開始繁榮起來，即使有些旅客對那些賣橄欖木和珍珠藝術紀念品的商人有所抱怨。也許是由於強盜案件及暴力事件的緣故，西元1834年Ibrahim Pasha 摧毀了回教區並命當地居民繳出所有武器。在土耳其的政權下所有權及其他法定權力的問題變成一個政治性及國際性的問題，西元1893年一個Croatian槍殺了Sacristan 修士還有另一個修士也受了傷。

Following an earthquake in 1834, the church suffered horrible repairs in 1842. The grotto was partly destroyed by fire in 1869. The screen wall closing the east end of the central nave was removed in 1918 by Sir Ronald Stom. In 1933 the dangerous conditions of the church caused the British administration to have a structural survey made. This brought to light the ancient mosaic floor of Constantine, and resulted only in a few wooden props in the narthex.

在1834年地震之後，西元1842年教堂稍事整修。地窟於西元1869年失火而部分損壞。西元1918年Ronald Stom 爵士將封閉教堂中央nave東側末端的screen wall影壁移走。西元1933年教堂危險的情形促使英國行政當局對結構做了一次勘查，這使Constantine時期的古老馬賽克地磚得以重見天日，and resulted only in a few wooden props in the narthex.

A door at the back of the Grotto leads to a subterranean passage to the other adjoining grottoes which were excavated by Fr. Farina, ofm. in the early sixties. His finds prove that the grottoes were occupied between 700 and 587 BC. Abandoned after the Babylonian captivity they were occupied again at the time of Christ and on till 333, when the Constantinian basilica was finished. He found 35 tombs: 15 of them underground, all prior to Constantine. The early Christians desired to be buried near a holy place, especially the tombs of the martyrs: how much more near a place sanctified by the Birth of Christ! In these grottoes there are the empty tombs of SS. Paula , Eustochium and St. Jerome. The remains of St. Jerome are shown in St. Mary Major's in Rome. There is no doubt about the tombs for St. Jerome himself tells us that he was responsible for cutting these tombs in the rock.

地窟後方有一扇門，連接著通往其他洞穴的地下通道，這些洞穴是方濟會士Farina神父在六零年代早期所挖掘發現的。他的發現證實這些洞穴在西元前700到587年間為人使用過，巴比倫充軍時代時被棄置，但在基督的年代又再度被使用直到西元333年Constantinian大殿完成時。他發現了三十五座墳墓：十五座在地下，都是在Constantinian之前的。早期的基督徒渴望葬在靠近聖地的地方，特別是殉道者的墓：有什麼地點比基督出生之地更好的！這些墓中包括幾座空墳：St. Paula，St. Eustochium，St. Jerome。St. Jerome的聖髑現存於羅馬的St. Mary Major's教堂。對於這些墓穴，St. Jerome他本人曾說他負責在岩石中開鑿墓穴。

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