A documentary film is bringing a remarkable concert in Bethlehem back to public attention. Lost Treasure: Handel’s Messiah in Bethlehem reconstructs a 1994 performance that brought an audience of Israelis and Palestinians, Christians, Jews and Muslims together around music and a message of peace.
A concert preserved on a videotape
On November 14, 1994, conductor Francisco de Araujo led a performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Church of St Catherine in Bethlehem’s Nativity complex. The concert followed years of negotiation and took place amid serious security concerns.
The original recordings largely disappeared, but a surviving VHS tape offered filmmaker Harvey Warren and Braintree Productions a route to recovering the event. Restoration work, including modern image-enhancement technology, made a feature-length presentation possible.
Music, memory and dialogue
The approximately two-hour film combines the oratorio with interviews, images of sacred art and newly filmed Holy Land scenes. Its subject is both the music and the effort required to stage a shared cultural moment across divisions.
According to Vatican News, the documentary is being presented at events including Barcelona’s Love & Hope International Film Festival, with a FaithChannel broadcast planned for the Christmas season. The story illustrates how sacred music can create opportunities for encounter.
Source
Vatican News, report on Lost Treasure, October 20, 2026.
