City
Bethlehem
BETH-lih-hem · Modern Bethlehem, West Bank · Also called Ephrathah, Bethlehem of Judea
Bethlehem is a city of the biblical world.
What is known
- Prophesied birthplace of the Messiah in Micah 5:2, fulfilled at Jesus's birth
- Birthplace and hometown of King David centuries earlier
- Site of Herod the Great's massacre of male infants (the "Slaughter of the Innocents") after the visit of the Magi
History
- Founded
- Mentioned as early as Genesis (Rachel's burial nearby); a small village throughout the Old and New Testament periods
- Population
- A few hundred to low thousands in the 1st century AD — a small village overshadowed by nearby Jerusalem, 6 miles away
- Industry
- Agriculture (grain — the name means "House of Bread") and shepherding
- Coordinates
- 31.7054° N, 35.2024° E
Rulers and powers
- Herod the Great — 37–4 BC
Archaeology
The Church of the Nativity, begun under Constantine in the 4th century and rebuilt by Justinian in the 6th, encloses a limestone grotto venerated since at least the 2nd century as the traditional birthplace of Jesus, making it the oldest continuously used Christian worship site in the Holy Land — though like most 1st-century identifications, the tradition rests on early veneration rather than direct 1st-century documentation. Beneath the current floor, restoration work has uncovered sections of the original 4th-century Constantinian mosaic pavement.
Scripture references
- Matthew 2:1
- Matthew 2:5-6
- Matthew 2:16
- Luke 2:4
- Luke 2:15
- John 7:42
On a modern map
Further reading
Reflect
God chose a small town and a feeding trough for his greatest arrival — where might something small in your life matter more than it looks?
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