Bethlehem city was established and inhabited by the Canaanites around 2000 BC, and was called Beit Eilo Lahama, which means “house of the God Lahama,” who is the god of food and sustenance, according to the Canaanites, in connection with this name, the city's name in Arabic indicates the meaning of food as well (house of meat). It existed as early as the time of Jacob and was originally called Ephrath.
It is said that the reason for naming the city by the house of this God is that cattle and sheep used to breed and graze their, due to the large number of fertile and grazing lands. It is also worth noting that the meaning of the city name in the ancient Aramaic language was “the house of bread.”
The first mention of Bethlehem in the Bible is in relation to Rachel’s death. Genesis 35:19— “And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.”
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, during the time of King Herod. The birth of Jesus, the Messiah, at Bethlehem was made known to shepherds by angels, and all those who heard the shepherds’ testimony of the angels’ message and the newborn Child had wondered at it. Luke, chapter 2, also relates that after eight days the Child was circumcised and named Jesus, and that forty days after Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem the Virgin Mary brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem. After the birth of Jesus, Magi came to Bethlehem to worship him. Herod ordered all male babies under two years of age to be killed.
City of Bethlehem
