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.
History of Bethlehem city
