Bethlehem

Biblical References

• Genesis 35:19: Rachel died while giving birth to Benjamin and was buried "in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem."
• Ruth 1–4: The family of Naomi leaves Bethlehem during a famine, and Naomi later returns with her daughter-in-law Ruth at the time of the barley harvest. There Ruth marries Boaz and becomes an ancestor of David (Ruth 4:17).
• 1 Samuel 16:1–13: Samuel anoints David, son of Jesse the Bethlehemite. For this reason Bethlehem is called "the city of David" (Luke 2:4).
• Micah 5:2: The prophet Micah declares, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel."
• Matthew 2; Luke 2: These chapters record the birth of Jesus. Matthew recounts the visit of the Magi and Herod's killing of the boys two years old and under in and around Bethlehem. Luke relates how Joseph and Mary came up from Nazareth to be registered in the census, how the infant was laid in a manger, and how the shepherds came to visit.

Background

Bethlehem is a town in the hill country of Judah, about 8–10 km (5–6 miles) south of Jerusalem. Its Hebrew name, Beit Lehem, is commonly interpreted as "house of bread," a reading that fits well with the description in Ruth 2 of grain fields surrounding the town. Scholars, however, have proposed other etymologies as well. Because a town of the same name also existed in the territory of the tribe of Zebulun (Joshua 19:15), the Judean town was sometimes called "Bethlehem-judah" to distinguish the two (Judges 17:7). Today Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. It is home to the Church of the Nativity, first built in the fourth century under Emperor Constantine. Jerome is known to have lived there in the late fourth century while translating the Latin Bible known as the Vulgate.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

King David came from the small town of Bethlehem, and Micah foresaw that a ruler would once again come forth from the same town. In Matthew 2:5–6, the chief priests and scribes cite the book of Micah in answering that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem. The same expectation appears in John 7:42. The New Testament presents Jesus' birth in Bethlehem as the fulfillment of the promise of a Messiah who would come as a descendant of David—that is, of the Davidic covenant.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• Historicity: Evangelical and other conservative denominations generally accept the birth in Bethlehem as historical fact. Some historical-critical scholars, by contrast, suggest that the account may be a theological narrative shaped to fit prophecy. The timing of the census under Cyrenius (Quirinius) in Luke 2:2 is also a subject of chronological debate, and various interpretations have been proposed to harmonize it.
• The inn: The word translated "inn" in Luke 2:7 (Greek katalyma) can also be rendered "guest room." Some therefore interpret the passage to mean that the guest room of a relative's house was full, rather than a commercial inn. The innkeeper who turns the couple away, a familiar figure in Nativity plays, does not appear in the text.
• The cave and the animals: The tradition that Jesus was born in a cave appears in literature from the second century onward. The ox and donkey beside the manger are not mentioned in the text.
• The Magi: Matthew 2:11 records that the wise men entered a "house," and the text does not say that there were three of them.

In the Korean Church

Bethlehem is the place name that appears most often in Christmas and Advent sermons and Nativity plays. Preachers frequently connect the meaning "house of bread" with Jesus' words in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life." The hymn "O Little Town of Bethlehem" is widely sung during the Christmas season, and a visit to the Church of the Nativity is commonly included in Holy Land pilgrimage itineraries.