Bethlehem

"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.  His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity."  

Micah 5:2

 

Strong's Concordance 1035
Beth Lechem: "place of bread," a city in Judah, also a city in Zebulun
Original Word: בֵּית לֶחֶם
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Beth Lechem
Phonetic Spelling: (bayth leh'-khem)
Definition: "place of bread", a city in Judah, also a city in Zebulun

-Located approximately 5-6 miles south of Jerusalem.

--"Place of Bread" is most likely because of the nearby fertile fields in the Judean desert.

-Bethlehem is first mentioned in the Bible as the town nearest to where Jacob's wife Rachel died and was buried (Genesis 35:19; 48:7).  At that time it was a Canaanite settlement.

-The city is sometimes called Bethlehem of Judah or Bethlehem Ephrathah (Genesis 35:19) to set it apart from the Bethlehem of Zebulun (Joshua 19:15).

-Bethlehem is also known as the City of David.  The city was David's family home (1 Samuel 16:1; 17:12) and the place where he was anointed king (1 Samuel 16:4-13).  

-Was built as a fortified city by Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11:5-6)

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When Cesar Augustus called for a census, Joseph traveled to Bethlehem with Mary because he was of the House of David (Luke 2:4).