It occupies an outstanding position upon a spur running E. from the watershed with deep valleys to the N.E. Bethlehem, Arabic Bayt Laḥm (“House of Meat”), Hebrew Bet Leḥem (“House of Bread”), town in the West Bank, situated in the Judaean Hills 5 miles (8 km) south of Jerusalem. Tradition still points out the well. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity during the traditional Christmas procession in Bethlehem, West Bank. In the Bible the city is often referred to as Bethlehem Ephrathah, or Bethlehem-Judah. Physicist: 'Star of Bethlehem' may have been planetary alignment. Bethlehem of Judea is a city of 25,000 today. 1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? Bethlehem (House of Bread - House of Lahmu) is located about 10 Kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Jerusalem by the hill country of Judea on the way to Hebron. Palestine is in Israel, but not actually part of Israel. vovan | Shutterstock. The poem "Bethlehem of Judea" recited by the Gingerbread Man. (2017) town, 28,248; Bethlehem, Bayt Jālā, and Bayt Sāḥūr conurbation, 54,728. Corrections? To Bethlehem came Samuel to anoint a successor to unworthy Saul (1 Sa 16:4): “David went to and fro from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem” (1 Sa 17:15). Today, approximately 60,000 people live in and around the broader Bethlehem area. The site of the Nativity of Jesus was identified by St. Justin Martyr, a 2nd-century Christian apologist, as a manger in “a cave close to the village”; the cave, now under the nave of the Church of the Nativity in the heart of the town, has been continuously venerated by Christians since then. It is first mentioned in the Armana letters fourteen centuries BCE. In modern times, Bethlehem was administered as part of the British mandate of Palestine (1920–48; see Palestine: The British mandate); after the first of the Arab-Israeli wars (1948–49), it was in the territory annexed by Jordan in 1950 and placed in al-Quds (Jerusalem) muḥāfaẓah (governorate). Two thousand years ago, it was a small town of a few hundred to perhaps one thousand residents. Pop. In Bethlehem of Judea Deconstructing the myth of a Palestinian Jesus Most Christians who have answered the call to live and serve in Israel sorely miss our families back home during the Christmas season. Updates? The surrounding country is fertile, cornfields, fig and olive yards and vineyards abound. Omissions? It was quite an experience going to Bethlehem. Judea was part of the Hill Country though it contained four other regions, The coastal plain, the Shephelah (lowlands near the coast), the Negev (southland), and the wilderness. The winter months in Bethlehem are from November to March and although it does get cold the Bethlehem winter weather is still warm compared to European winters. Bethlehem is not naturally well supplied with water, the nearest spring is 800 yds. Expand Favorite. Greek Orthodox priests, Palestinian Pres. They are under the Palestinian Authority. Pope Tawadros II Defends Western Coptic Orthodox Church; Metropolitan Bishop Serapion 2021 Festal Letter For The Glorious Feast of Nativity; H.G. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? Some modern New Testament scholars believe parts of the Gospel accounts to be later accretions and hold that Jesus was born in Nazareth, his childhood home, but normative Christian belief has sanctified Bethlehem as Jesus’ birthplace for almost two millennia. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. Bethlehem of Judaea, as today’s Scripture teaches, is “little among the thousands of Judah” (a little-known village). In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. According to the Gospels (Matthew 2; Luke 2), Bethlehem was the site of the Nativity of Jesus Christ. Today we journeyed to Bethlehem. The modern moshav is located at the site of the ancient Israelite settlement known as Bethlehem of Zebulun or Berlehem Zoria. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Several initiatives were undertaken in the early 21st century to encourage local economic development through renewed tourism by Western pilgrims. to the S.E., but for many centuries the “low level aqueduct” from “Solomon’s Pools” in the Artas valley, which has here been tunneled through the hill, has been tapped by the inhabitants; there are also many rock-cut cisterns. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The Church of the Nativity is thus one of the oldest Christian churches extant. Download. But we certainly don’t miss the commercialization of the holidays. “Bethlehem,” ISBE, n.p. ad Paul, lviii.3) it is clear that veneration of this spot as the site of the Nativity must go back before 132 AD. Bethlehem of Judah was a small Jewish village in the first century where Jesus, the Messiah born and today is one of most important city in the Palestinian Territory. Inasmuch as Hadrian devastated Bethlehem and set up there a sacred grove to Adonis (Jerome, Ep. in . Bethlehem and its suburbs have many churches, convents, schools, and hospitals supported by Christian denominations the world over. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. “Bethlehem” in Hebrew means the “house” ( bet) of “bread” ( lehem ). also known as: Bethlehemjudah, Bethlehem of Juda, Bethlehem of Judea, Bethlehem-Ephratah, Ephratah, Ephrath, City of David Situated in the hill country, it was originally called Ephratah/Ephrath , meaning “fruitful” ( Genesis 35:16 , 19 ; 48:7 ; Ruth 4:11 ), and its citizens were called Ephrathites . St. Helena (c. 248–c. Bethlehem of Judea, the Birthplace of Jesus-West from Church of Nativity, Palestine Public Domain. Bethlehem is called the city of David in the Old Testament and the City of the Messiah in the New Covenant. David himself “was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah, whose name was Jesse” (1 Sa 17:12). January 1, 2016 ~ aforenceeastsidecatholicorg. The whole area is quite hilly. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Bethlehem, Jewish Virtual Library - Bethlehem, West Bank, Bethlehem - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Bethlehem - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). In Bethlehem of Judea," they told him, "because this is what was written by the prophet: American Standard Version And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written through the prophet, Contemporary English Version They told him, "He will be born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet wrote, Douay-Rheims Bible But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda. Constantine (circa 330) founded a basilica over the cave-stable which tradition pointed out as the scene of the birth, and his church, unchanged in general structure though enlarged by Justinian and frequently adorned, repaired and damaged, remains today the chief attraction of the town. The manufacture of religious articles, chiefly of mother-of-pearl, is a traditional industry, as is the carving of olive wood. Mahmoud Abbas, and worshippers gathered for mass at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, West Bank. And a certain man of Bethlehem-judahwent to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. Bethlehem of Judah is on the ridge of the Judean Hills and near the desert, thus a place of emptiness, of humility. David’s “three mighty men” “brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David” (2 Sa 23:14,16). Bethlehem, meaning "house of bread," was also the renowned City of David. It is the setting for most of the Book of Ruth and was the presumed birthplace, and certainly the home, of Ruth’s descendant King David; there he was anointed king of Israel by the prophet Samuel (I Samuel 16). The hill country was a rough stony land with deep ravines rising 2500 feet to the open … Is small jewish village of ancient Judea comes to be the most important christian site in the Palestinians Territory today controlled by Arabs, Qasr el Yahud, the Baptism Site in Jordan River, Mount Moriah or the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, The Western Wall or Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Ancient period. This, together with the New Testament, which he had translated from the Greek before going to Palestine, constitutes the Vulgate, the standard Latin translation of the Bible used by the Roman Catholic Church. Bethlehem in Judea, the famous one, is located 5 miles (8 km) south of Jerusalem, near the ancient main road to Hebron (and even Egypt, if one was going further). They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel." Bethlehem of Judea. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. Noté /5. Frequent conflicts have arisen over the jurisdiction of various faiths at the sacred site, often incited by outside interests; thus, for example, the theft in 1847 of the silver star marking the exact traditional locus of the Nativity was an ostensible factor in the international crisis over the holy places that ultimately led to the Crimean War (1854–56). The town forms a conurbation with adjoining Bayt Jālā, to the northwest, and Bayt Sāḥūr, to the southeast. Muslim rule continued in Bethlehem until its conquest in 1099 by a crusading army, … Bishop Mina 2021 Canadian Pastoral Letter For The Glorious Feast of Nativity Bethlehem University (1973) offers instruction in both Arabic and English. Bethlehem Judah, or EPHRATH or EPHRATHAH (which see) is now Beit Lahm (Arabic = “house of meat”), a town of upward of 10,000 inhabitants, 5 miles S. of Jerusalem and 2,350 ft. above sea level. In Bethlehem of Judea Deconstructing the myth of a Palestinian Jesus. Christian theology has linked this with the belief that his birth there fulfills the Old Testament prophecy of Israel’s future ruler coming from Bethlehem Ephrathah (Micah 5:2). After the Six-Day War of 1967, it was part of the Israeli-occupied territory of the West Bank. Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. But not actually part of Jund Filastin following the Muslim conquest in 637 and vineyards abound Muslim... 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