[78] In the 1967 census taken by Israel authorities, the town of Bethlehem proper numbered 14,439 inhabitants, its 7,790 Muslim inhabitants represented 53.9% of the population, while the Christians of various denominations numbered 6,231 or 46.1%. All rights reserved worldwide. Under the Ottomans, Bethlehem's inhabitants faced unemployment, compulsory military service, and heavy taxes, resulting in mass emigration, particularly to South America. [31], In 326â328, the empress Helena, consort of the emperor Constantius Chlorus, and mother of the emperor Constantine the Great, made a pilgrimage to Syra-Palaestina, in the course of which she visited the ruins of Bethlehem. "(Justin Martyr. [9], From 1517, during the years of Ottoman control, custody of the Basilica was bitterly disputed between the Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches. It was closed down in 2000 due to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but reopened in 2005 as the Jacir Palace InterContinental at Bethlehem.[102]. [10], The earliest reference to Bethlehem appears in the Amarna correspondence (c. 1400 BCE). [53], On December 21, 1995, Israeli troops withdrew from Bethlehem,[54] and three days later the city came under the administration and military control of the Palestinian National Authority in accordance with the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. [117], Bethlehem work was unique in its use of couched gold or silver cord, or silk cord onto the silk, wool, felt or velvet used for the garment, to create stylized floral patterns with free or rounded lines. [according to whom? [22], Writing in the 4th century, the Pilgrim of Bordeaux reported that the sepulchers of David, Ezekiel, Asaph, Job, Jesse, and Solomon were located near Bethlehem. [31] Joan E. Taylor has countered this contention by arguing that Jerome, as an educated man, could not have been so naïve as to mistake Christian mourning over the Massacre of the Innocents as a pagan ritual for Tammuz. [61] Bethlehem is situated on the southern portion[clarification needed] in the Judean Mountains. A Basic Law was established so that if the victor for mayor was a Catholic, his deputy should be of the Greek Orthodox community. [9] An American missionary in the 1850s reported a population of under 4,000, nearly all of whom belonged to the Greek Church. The grapes are grown mainly in the al-Khader district. In one of his six letters to Pharaoh, Abdi-Heba, the Egyptian-appointed governor of Jerusalem, appeals for aid in retaking Bit-Laḫmi in the wake of disturbances by Apiru mercenaries:[11] "Now even a town near Jerusalem, Bit-Lahmi by name, a village which once belonged to the king, has fallen to the enemy ... Let the king hear the words of your servant Abdi-Heba, and send archers to restore the imperial lands of the king! Two brothers from Schenectady face attempted murder charges for allegedly firing bullets into a vehicle on Sparrowbush Road. [68], According to Ottoman tax records, Christians made up roughly 60% of the population in the early 16th century, while the Christian and Muslim population became equal by the mid-16th century. Bethlehem is located at an elevation of about 775 meters (2,543 ft) above sea level, 30 meters (98 ft) higher than nearby Jerusalem. It has been traced by some to Byzantium, and by others to the formal costumes of the Ottoman Empire's elite. As a Christian village, local women were also exposed to the detailing on church vestments with their heavy embroidery and silver brocade. The center aims to preserve and promote Palestinian embroidery, art and folklore. According to the Book of Ruth, the valley to the east is where Ruth of Moab gleaned the fields and returned to town with Naomi. Muslim rule continued in Bethlehem until its conquest in 1099 by a crusading army, who replaced the town's Greek Orthodox clergy with a Latin one. And so was fulfilled(N) what the Lord had said through the prophet: âOut of Egypt I called my son.â[c](O), 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. The quarters include the Christian an-Najajreh, al-Farahiyeh, al-Anatreh, al-Tarajmeh, al-Qawawsa and Hreizat quarters and al-Fawaghreh â the only Muslim quarter. [67] The total population of the old city is about 5,000. The city is located 73 kilometers (45 mi) northeast of Gaza City and the Mediterranean Sea, 75 kilometers (47 mi) west of Amman, Jordan, 59 kilometers (37 mi) southeast of Tel Aviv, Israel and 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) south of Jerusalem. Members of the clergy left the city, and in 1263 the town walls were demolished. [97], In 2008, Bethlehem hosted the largest economic conference to date in the Palestinian territories. The level of access varies based on Israeli security directives. [14], Archaeological confirmation of Bethlehem as a city in the Kingdom of Judah was uncovered in 2012 at the archaeological dig at the City of David in the form of a bulla (seal impression in dried clay) in ancient Hebrew script that reads "From the town of Bethlehem to the King," indicating[according to whom?] No evidence was found that this caused the boy's death. Early Christian traditions describe Jesus as being born in Bethlehem: in one account, a verse in the Book of Micah is interpreted as a prophecy that the Messiah would be born there. There were 6,709 housing units, of which 5,211 were households. [77], In 1948, the religious makeup of the city was 85% Christian, mostly of the Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic denominations, and 13% Muslim. In the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke says that Jesus' parents traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. (C) We saw his star(D) when it rose and have come to worship him.â. Many modern scholars question the idea that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, seeing the biblical stories not as historical accounts but as symbolic narratives invented to present the birth as fulfillment of prophecy and imply a connection to the lineage of King David.ref>Vermes, 2006, p. 22. The officer was found guilty of illegal use of a weapon and sentenced to 5 months imprisonment, two of them actually in prison doing public service. [133] Palestinians require a permit to enter the Jewish holy site of Rachel's Tomb. Following the Six-Day War, Israel took control of the city. And the rumor is in those places, and among foreigners of the Faith, that indeed Jesus was born in this cave who is worshipped and reverenced by the Christians. [23] There has been no corroboration of this. [82], The percentage of Christians in the town has been in a steady decline since the mid-twentieth century. 13 When they had gone, an angel(K) of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Police: Man tried to torch building in Bethlehem Fire departments from northwest NJ stepping up to help after tornadoes tear through Alabama ⦠The Aida and Azza refugee camps are located within the city limits. [84] A statistical analysis of the Christian exodus cited lack of economic and educational opportunity, especially due to the Christians' middle-class status and higher education. However, Bethlehem is affected also by annual waves of hot, dry, sandy and dust Khamaseen winds from the Arabian Desert, during April, May and mid-June. [7], The Bethlehem branch of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music has about 500 students. Taray Herring, 47, of Philadelphia and Jeanette Pace, 42, of Ventnor, New Jersey, face charges of murder, possessing an instrument of crime and conspiracy in ⦠In Bethlehem the cave is pointed out where he was born, and the manger in the cave where he was wrapped in swaddling clothes. (G) Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts(H) of gold, frankincense and myrrh. [78][83][84][85] In 1947, Christians made up 85% of the population, but by 1998, the figure had declined to 40%. [31][32] Eusebius, however, mentions nothing about the cave having been associated with Tammuz[31] and there are no other Patristic sources that suggest Tammuz had a shrine in Bethlehem. [64] Most of the Christian quarters are named after the Arab Ghassanid clans that settled there. [15], Biblical scholars believe Bethlehem, located in the "hill country" of Judah, may be the same as the Biblical Ephrath,[16] which means "fertile", as there is a reference to it in the Book of Micah as Bethlehem Ephratah. [24] In around 155, the apologist Justin Martyr recommended that those who doubted Jesus was really born in Bethlehem could go there and visit the very cave where he was supposed to have been born. [78][83] In 2005, the mayor of Bethlehem, Victor Batarseh, explained that "due to the stress, either physical or psychological, and the bad economic situation, many people are emigrating, either Christians or Muslims, but it is more apparent among Christians, because they already are a minority. He was also demoted. [89] The only mosque in the Old City is the Mosque of Omar, located in the Manger Square. Humidity levels are at their lowest in May. [56], Bethlehem is twinned with:[134][135][136], This article is about the city in the West Bank. NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. The Greek Orthodox were given control of the basilica and shared control of the Milk Grotto with the Latins and the Armenians. [37], In 1099, Bethlehem was captured by the Crusaders, who fortified it and built a new monastery and cloister on the north side of the Church of the Nativity. The treaty expired in 1239, and Bethlehem was recaptured by the Muslims in 1244. There were 11,079 males and 10,594 females. θλεÎμ Greek pronunciation: [bÉËtÊ°le.ém]; Latin: Bethleem; initially named after Canaanite fertility god Lehem[3]) is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about 10 km (6.2 miles) south of Jerusalem. WATERBURY â A teenager who murdered a man when he was just 15 years old was sentenced to 32 years in prison, recently obtained court records show. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.â. [86] However, it is likely that there are many other factors, most of which are shared with the Palestinian population as a whole. The Badd Giacaman Museum, located in the Old City of Bethlehem, dates back to the 18th century and is primarily dedicated to the history and process of olive oil production. The commander of the post, a senior non-commissioned officer, fired two plastic bullets in deviation of operational rules. [124], There are several branches of political parties on the council, including Communist, Islamist, and secular. Bethlehem held its first municipal elections in 1876, after the mukhtars ("heads") of the quarters of Bethlehem's Old City (excluding the Syriac Quarter) made the decision to elect a local council of seven members to represent each clan in the town. [85][56] Unlike other Palestinian localities prior to 2000, the majority of the employed residents did not have jobs in Israel. 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. [105] Origen of Alexandria, writing around the year 247, referred to a cave in the town of Bethlehem which local people believed was the birthplace of Jesus. 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. During the celebrations, Greek Orthodox Christians from the city march in procession to the nearby town of al-Khader to baptize newborns in the waters around the Monastery of St. George and sacrifice a sheep in ritual. Biblical scholars believe Bethlehem, located in the "hill country" of Judah, may be the same as the Biblical Ephrath, which means "fertile", as there is a reference to it in the Book of Micah as Bethlehem Ephratah. However, there were no Muslim inhabitants counted by the end of the century, with a recorded population of 287 adult male tax-payers. [39] In 1250, with the coming to power of the Mamluks under Rukn al-Din Baibars, tolerance of Christianity declined. Some time in the third millennium BCE, Canaanites erected a temple on the hill now known as the Hill of the Nativity, probably dedicated to Lehem. During this period, the town suffered an earthquake as well as the destruction of the Muslim quarter in 1834 by Egyptian troops, apparently as a reprisal for the murder of a favored loyalist of Ibrahim Pasha. [56] Most entrances and exits from the Bethlehem agglomeration to the rest of the West Bank are currently subjected to Israeli checkpoints and roadblocks. Of the city's population, 10,414 were enrolled in schools (4,015 in primary school, 3,578 in secondary and 2,821 in high school). [121], Bethlehem is home to the Palestinian Heritage Center, established in 1991. [12] Laḫmu was the Akkadian god of fertility,[13] worshipped by the Canaanites as Leḥem. [104] The second century Christian apologist Justin Martyr stated in his Dialogue with Trypho (written c. 155â161) that the Holy Family had taken refuge in a cave outside of the town and then placed Jesus in a manger. [123], Bethlehem has four museums: The Crib of the Nativity Theatre and Museum offers visitors 31 three-dimensional models depicting the significant stages of the life of Jesus. [130], Bethlehem is home to Bethlehem University, a Catholic Christian co-educational institution of higher learning founded in 1973 in the Lasallian tradition, open to students of all faiths. [84], A study by Pew Research Center concluded that the decline in the Arab Christian population of the area was partially a result of a lower birth rate among Christians than among Muslims,[84][90] but also partially due to the fact that Christians were more likely to emigrate from the region than any other religious group. [6][7] The important holy site of Rachel's Tomb is at the northern entrance of Bethlehem, though not freely accessible to the city's own inhabitants and in general Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank due to the Israeli West Bank barrier. ⦠", It is thought that the similarity of this name to its modern forms indicates that it was originally a settlement of Canaanites who shared a Semitic cultural and linguistic heritage with the later arrivals. New International Version (NIV). A Fairchance man entered a guilty plea in a 2018 vehicle collision that killed a married couple, and could spend up to 36 years in prison. [55] During the Second Palestinian Intifada in 2000â2005, Bethlehem's infrastructure and tourism industry were damaged. and 650 B.C. [91] Since the Second Intifada, 10% of the Christian population have left the city. On the Road to Peace: In honor of peacemaker and civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, here are a few of his prayers to help work toward nonviolence. [79], In the PCBS's 1997 census, the city had a population of 21,670, including a total of 6,570 refugees, accounting for 30.3% of the city's population. [59], Today, the city is surrounded by two bypass roads for Israeli settlers, leaving the inhabitants squeezed between thirty-seven Jewish enclaves, where a quarter of all West Bank settlers, roughly 170,000, live; the gap between the two roads is closed by the 8-metre high Israeli West Bank barrier, which cuts Bethlehem off from its sister city Jerusalem. Clamecy remained the continuous 'in partibus infidelium' seat of the Bishopric of Bethlehem for almost 600 years, until the French Revolution in 1789. ], The Gospel of Matthew Matthew 1:18-2:23[27] and the Gospel of Luke Luke 2:1-39[28] represent Jesus as having been born in Bethlehem. Its theater presents a 20-minute animated show. [19] It is first mentioned in the Tanakh and the Bible as the place where the matriarch Rachel died and was buried "by the wayside" (Gen. 48:7). 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. [85], The Church of the Nativity is one of Bethlehem's major tourist attractions and a magnet for Christian pilgrims. [113] In a 2011 article in Biblical Archaeology Review magazine, Jerome Murphy-O'Connor argues for the traditional position that Jesus was born in Bethlehem near Jerusalem. [119] A constant stream of pilgrims generated a demand for these items, which also provided jobs for women. [101] Jacir Palace, built in 1910 near the church, is one of Bethlehem's most successful hotels and its oldest. [43], From 1831 to 1841, Palestine was under the rule of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty of Egypt. It provides language and guide training, woman's studies and arts and crafts displays, and training. A total of 1.4 billion US dollars was secured for business investments in the Palestinian territories. The old city consists of eight quarters, laid out in a mosaic style, forming the area around the Manger Square. [24] During the Samaritan revolt of 529, Bethlehem was sacked and its walls and the Church of the Nativity destroyed; they were rebuilt on the orders of the Emperor Justinian I. One such festival is the annual Feast of Saint George (al-Khadr) on May 5â6. [99] Tourism in Bethlehem ground to a halt for over a decade after the Second Intifada,[85] but gradually began to pick back up in the early 2010s. Beit Jala and the latter form an agglomeration with Bethlehem. [114], Christmas rites are held in Bethlehem on three different dates: December 25 is the traditional date by the Roman Catholic and Protestant denominations, but Greek, Coptic and Syrian Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 6 and Armenian Orthodox Christians on January 19. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, âGo and search carefully for the child. In 985, the Arab geographer al-Muqaddasi visited Bethlehem, and referred to its church as the "Basilica of Constantine, the equal of which does not exist anywhere in the country-round. [129] There were 135 schools in the Bethlehem Governorate in 2006; 100 run the Education Ministry of the Palestinian National Authority, seven by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and 28 were private. [82] Another Bethlehem clan, al-Anatreh, also trace their ancestry to the Ghassanids. August is the hottest month, with a high of 30 degrees Celsius (86 °F). [34][9], In 637, shortly after Jerusalem was captured by the Muslim armies, 'Umar ibn al-KhattÄb, the second Caliph, promised that the Church of the Nativity would be preserved for Christian use. In the mid-13th century, the Mamluks demolished the city's walls, which were subsequently rebuilt under the Ottomans in the early 16th century. Its total revenue amounted to 30,000 akce. [7] Baituna al-Talhami Museum, established in 1972, contains displays of Bethlehem culture. [24] After the Bar Kokhba revolt (c. 132â136 CE) was crushed, the Roman emperor Hadrian converted the Christian site above the Grotto into a shrine dedicated to the Greek god Adonis, to honour his favourite, the Greek youth Antinous. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. [38], Bethlehem, along with Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Sidon, was briefly ceded to the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem by a treaty between Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and Ayyubid Sultan al-Kamil in 1229, in return for a ten-year truce between the Ayyubids and the Crusaders. [51] The influx of refugees significantly transformed Bethlehem's Christian majority into a Muslim one.[52]. Rachel's Tomb, the traditional grave site, stands at the entrance to Bethlehem. The Latin clergy returned to Bethlehem the following century, establishing themselves in the monastery adjoining the Basilica of the Nativity. [120] The industry was noted by Richard Pococke, who visited Bethlehem in 1727. [92], Shopping is a major attraction, especially during the Christmas season. [68], Bethlehem's average annual relative humidity is 60% and reaches its highest rates between January and February. [40] The Basbus family served as the heads of Bethlehem among other leaders during this period. [24] The same cave is also referenced by the apocryphal Gospel of James and the fourth-century church historian Eusebius. The population count only included men. The temple, and subsequently the town that formed around it, would then have been known as Beyt Leḥem, "House (Temple) of Lehem". Up until that point the official Christian presence in the region was Greek Orthodox. [117], The art of mother-of-pearl carving is said to have been a Bethlehem tradition since the 15th century when it was introduced by Franciscan friars from Italy. [24][25][26] Modern scholars, however, regard the two accounts as contradictory[25][26] and the Gospel of Mark, the earliest gospel, mentions nothing about Jesus having been born in Bethlehem, saying only that he came from Nazareth. [76] An 1885 source put the population at approximately 6,000 of "principally Christians, Latins and Greeks" with no Jewish inhabitants. The taqsireh was made of velvet or broadcloth, usually with heavy embroidery. [48] In the United Nations General Assembly's 1947 resolution to partition Palestine, Bethlehem was included in the international enclave of Jerusalem to be administered by the United Nations. "The death of George Floyd was a watershed moment in our country," commented Scott Tufts , ⦠[58] The IDF besieged the Church of the Nativity, where dozens of Palestinian militants had sought refuge. [29][30], In around 395 CE, the Church Father Jerome wrote in a letter: "Bethlehem... belonging now to us... was overshadowed by a grove of Tammuz, that is to say, Adonis, and in the cave where once the infant Christ cried, the lover of Venus was lamented. The Latin clerics were forced to leave, allowing the Greek Orthodox clergy to return. The three other officers are charged with aiding and abetting murder. [62] Nearby cities and towns include Beit Safafa and Jerusalem to the north, Beit Jala to the northwest, Husan to the west, al-Khadr and Artas to the southwest, and Beit Sahour to the east. "[70] Another report from the same year puts the Christian population at 3,000, with an additional 50 Muslims. Christians, like all non-Muslims throughout the Ottoman Empire, were required to pay the jizya tax. "[86] The Palestinian Authority is officially committed to equality for Christians, although there have been incidents of violence against them by the Preventive Security Service and militant factions. [9] A mosque dedicated to Umar was built upon the place in the city where he prayed, next to the church. A Carson City man, arrested in July 2016 for the death of an elderly Newport Beach, Calif. man, was convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder. [96] Bethlehem factories also produce paints, plastics, synthetic rubber, pharmaceuticals, construction materials and food products, mainly pasta and confectionery. From May through September, the weather is warm and sunny. Having been warned in a dream,(V) he withdrew to the district of Galilee,(W) 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. Roman Catholic services take place in St. Catherine's Church and Protestants often hold services at Shepherds' Fields.[115]. Scientists in US set to battle murder hornets as giant insects begin establishing nests Toggle header content. [95] Religious handicrafts include ornaments handmade from mother-of-pearl, as well as olive wood statues, boxes, and crosses. Nearby is the Milk Grotto where the Holy Family took refuge on their Flight to Egypt and next door is the cave where St. Jerome spent thirty years creating the Vulgate, the dominant Latin version of the Bible until the Reformation. [9] Control of Bethlehem passed from the Ottomans to the British at the end of World War I. Bethlehem came under Jordanian rule during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and was later captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. This technique was used for "royal" wedding dresses (thob malak), taqsirehs and the shatwehs worn by married women. Five leaders represented the village in the mid-16th century, three of whom were Muslims. [46] Hartmann found that Bethlehem had 520 houses. 5 âIn Bethlehem(E) in Judea,â they replied, âfor this is what the prophet has written: 6 ââBut you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.â[b]â(F), 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. As a result, the Bishop of Bethlehem duly took up residence in the hospital of Panthenor, Clamecy, in 1223. [65] Al-Qawawsa Quarter was formed by Arab Christian emigrants from the nearby town of Tuqu' in the 18th century. Mills and Bullard, 1990, pp. ] [ 5 ] and it is the coldest month, with the coming to the church the. 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