BEIT-LECHEM

Bethlehem is no longer a little town

MMI Director, Reginald Lisemby at supposed birthplace of YHWHshua

Arab believer and guide,Hanna Salami with group in Bethlehem cave (2009)

modern Bethlehem, a Palestinian community

BEIT-LECHEM meaning “House of Bread” is one of the oldest cities in Israel. Rachel’s tomb is located here (Genesis 35:19; 48:7). The concubine who played the harlot against her Levite husband and was murdered and cut into 12 pieces by him and sent to the twelve tribes of Israel was from Bethlehem (Judges 19). Elimelech and Naomi left Bethlehem during famine to sojourn in Moav; Naomi with Ruth returned to this agricultural community then blessed by God, and here Ruth was providentially led to meet and marry Boaz (Ruth 1:22-2:1) the goel or kinsmen redeemer. Obed, Jesse, and David were born in Bethlehem; David was anointed by Samuel at this site 5 miles south of Jerusalem (1 Samuel 16:1-13; 17:12). David longed to drink water from the well in Bethlehem when fleeing from Saul; water was brought to him by loyal men of his garrison, but he poured it out to God as a sacrifice (2 Samuel 23:13-17). Bethlehm was once a Philistine garrison and later fortified by Rehoboam. Often called Ephrath in the Tenakh or OT the prophet Micah prophesied the messiah of Israel to be born here at the “little among the thousands of Judah” (Micah 5:2). Bethlehem was the birth place of Yeshua (Luke 2:1-5) and where the shepherds visited Him as an infant. From Jerusalem the star led the magi from the east to Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-12), and from Bethlehem Yoseph fled with Miriam and Yeshua being warned by an angel of Herod (Matthew 2:13-18). Bethlehem was later destroyed by Hadrian and the Romans (135AD), and in the fourth century Constantine of the 1^st Reich built the Church of the Nativity. The church was destroyed in the sixth century and was rebuilt by Justinian. Stairs lead down into what was actually a cave where the Lord was supposedly born (a star of silver with inscription marks the traditional place). Jerome lived further back in the cave at a more natural cite where around AD 400 he translated the Greek scriptures into the Latin (the Latin Vulgate). Today a Palestinian village and no longer a little town, the city welcomes tourist from around the world though due to the political situation many may not visit Bethlehem. The Arabs call the place Bayt Lahm also as the Hebrew meaning “house of bread.”