BETH'LEHEM (Ileb., house or place of bread). The present Brit Lahm, a town about 5 miles south of Jerusalem and about three fourths of a mile east of the main road to Heb ron (Slap: Palestine, C 4). The name is sig nificant of the fertility of the valleys near by, which abound in grain-fields, olive and fig or chards, and vineyards. Bethlehem, anciently in cluded in the district Eph•atah, became famous in olden times as the birthplace and early home of King David (Ruth i. 2; iv. 11; Gen. xxxv. If% 19; xl•iii. 7: I. Sam. xvii. 12). it was not a place of great importance. As the birthplace of Jesus ii. 1; Luke ii. 1 ff.), Bethlehem was venerated by Christians as early as the Second Century. For this reason., probably, Hadrian laid it waste in 132. Constantine the Groat, in his zeal for Christianity, revived the place by building there a large. fine basilica (c.330). Sinc• then Bethlehem has been one of the great pilgrim shrines of Palestine. Its present population is about 8000, mostly Chris tian, as the Thissulman quarter was destroyed in 1834. At Bethlehem several monastic and edu eational institutions, Catholic and Protestant, are located.
The centre of interest in Bethlehem is the famous Church of Saint Mary, one of the oldest Christian edifices in the world. Constantine built the church near the supposed site of Jesus' birth. The Gospel of Lake states that the in fant Saviour was laid in a manger. Early in the Seeond Century tradition had it that the manger Was in a cave (cf. Pro/cr. domes, 18, 19, 21. and Justin M., Dia/.. edit. Otto, p. 268), which is not at all improbable. Justinian (527 505) enlarged Constantine's church so that the transept covered the supposed Cave of the Na tivity. Miter crypts under the building are now connected with scenes of the Infancy. Here, also, are the chapel and grave of Jerome, who wrote the Vulgate in a grotto near by. The church was highly esteemed by the Crusaders.
In 1101 Baldwin was crowned in it. In 1170 the Emperor Nanuel Comnenus decorated its walls with mosaics. In 1482 Edward IV. and Philip of 13urgundy contributed the materials for repairing the roof. At present Greek, Ar menian. and Roman Catholic monastic estab lishments inclose the church on the two sides and rear.