T	he City of Bethlehem in the Time of Jesus

Luke 2:10, 11 - And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

During the time of Jesus the village of Bethlehem was located in the hill country of Judea around 5 miles south of Jerusalem. It was referred to by the angel as the City of David where Christ (the Messiah) was born as predicted by the prophet Micah in the 8th century BC. The site had already been sacred to the Jews. Jacob's beloved Rachel died at Bethlehem and her tomb was located there. In Bethlehem Ruth and Boaz lived. It was in Bethlehem that David was born, he was a shepherd when Samuel came and anointed him as the king of Israel (1 Samuel 16). David's mighty men also brought him water from the well at Bethlehem. When Herod the Great heard the news about Jesus and the magi who came to honor him Herod ordered the death of all the male babies in Bethlehem under two years of age. In ancient times the city of Bethlehem was known as Ephrath.

THE city of Bethlehem (or House of Bread) lies within the territory assigned to the tribe of Judah. It lies in the midst of what was a fertile country, about six miles south by west from Jerusalem. The ancient city was beautifully situated on a commanding ridge, 2700 feet above the level of the sea. The hills around it were terraced, and clothed with vines, fig trees, and almonds, and the surrounding valleys yielded luxuriant harvests of grain. Jacob buried Rachel near its gate, and it was the home of Ruth and the birthplace of David, and " David's greater son " the Lord Jesus Christ. Its population was small in the days of the Saviour, but at present is about 3000, nearly all the inhabitants being Christians. It is said to be one of the cleanest and neatest towns in Israel. St. Jerome lived there for more than thirty years, and there made his famous translation of the Bible into the Latin language. - Ancient Geography

- BETH'LEHEM "House of Bread" (BETH'LECHEM)

- The most striking building in Bethlehem is the Basilica of the Nativity, erected over a cave in the 2nd century AD and made the traditional site of the birth of Jesus.

- The Catholic theologian Jerome was in Bethlehem when he completed the Latin translation of the Bible which is still in use today as the Roman Catholic text.
 

Related Topics: Judea, Jerusalem, Mary, Joseph, Herod the Great, the Shepherds, the Magi, the Star, the Manger.