Bethlehem (House of Bread - House of Lahmu) is located about 10 Kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Jerusalem by the hill country of Judea on the way to Hebron. It is first mentioned in the Armana letters fourteen centuries BCE.

Bethlehem is sacred to all three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is a walled city.

It has preserved almost unchanged the bucolic and biblical characteristics of remote times. It is a white town on the slope of a rough and rocky hill with patches of olive and cypress. Its name may mean either "the house of bread", from the Hebrew Beit Lehem, or "the house of meat", from the Arabic Beit Lahm. Bethlehem, a holy town for Christians, is permeated with reminiscences of both the Old and New Testaments.

Today, the vast tracts of pasture land are roamed by flocks of sheep and goats, led by shepherds who wear, now as in the past, severe dark robes and their typical headdress. Against this backdrop events transpired which are recorded in the Scriptures, both Jewish and Christian. The pastures known as the 'Shepherds' Fields' witnessed lives of ancestors of David, the great king of the Jews; and they also witnessed and Angel�s Annunciation of the birth of the Son of God to the Shepherds.

Bethlehem plays a significant part in the Old Testament, in the history of the Israelites, both before they entered Egypt and slavery, and after the Exodus. It appears in the Old Testament as Ephrat, where Rachel the beloved matriarch of the Jewish People, the favorite wife of Jacob, died during childbirth.

The Tomb of Rachel, is a pilgrimage place for Jews and Muslims alike. Among other Biblical mentions and Holy Sites in Bethlehem: Rachel's tomb, Naomi and Ruth, Samuel anoints King David and the well from which David's warriors brought him waters.

Rachel's Tomb

In ancient times there were four monasteries in Bethlehem, but their sites are uncertain. The rather sombre courtyard in front of the basilica is what remains of an ancient enclosed market, followed by an inner atrium surrounded by porticos in front of the church. The present faqade of the basilica is obscured by a clumsy buttress erected to hold the decayed masonry in place, and two of the original three doors have been walled up. Only the centre door remains open, and this has been lowered several times, presumably to exclude horses, and one has to stoop to enter. The porticos have long since disappeared, and the whole aspect of the structures is dull and uninspiring. The only door leads into a narthex which stretches the whole breadth of the basilica.

It is partitioned into rooms. That on the right is the entrance into the Armenian monastery. That on the left is a Police Post, and not open to the public. This is unfortunate, because here there are portions of the great wooden door presented by two Armenians in 1227. It has two inscriptions. On the left in Armenian is: The door [of the Church] of the Blessed Mother of God was made in the year 676 by the hands of Father Abraham and Father Arakel in the time of Hethum, son of Constantine, King of Armenia. God have mercy on their souls. On the right in Arabic is: This door was finished with the help of God - May He be exalted! - in the days of Our Lord the Sultan Al-Malik al-Mu'azzam in the month of Muharram in the year 624. Both dates correspond to AD 122.

It is partitioned into rooms. That on the right is the entrance into the Armenian monastery. That on the left is a Police Post, and not open to the public. This is unfortunate, because here there are portions of the great wooden door presented by two Armenians in 1227. It has two inscriptions. On the left in Armenian is: The door [of the Church] of the Blessed Mother of God was made in the year 676 by the hands of Father Abraham and Father Arakel in the time of Hethum, son of Constantine, King of Armenia. God have mercy on their souls. On the right in Arabic is: This door was finished with the help of God - May He be exalted! - in the days of Our Lord the Sultan Al-Malik al-Mu'azzam in the month of Muharram in the year 624. Both dates correspond to AD 1227.

This enters directly into a majestic nave, with two aisles on either side. There are forty-four pillars of local pink limestone. It takes such a good polish that some have been deceived, and have thought it is marble. Thirty of the forty-four pillars have pictures of the saints painted on them , but they are hard to distinguish in many cases.

The walls above the central colonnades still preserve some of their mosaics, and these not only added beauty to the church. They were set in such a way as to throw light down diagonally, thus serving a practical purpose. Ample information exists to enable them to be completely restored. Originally there were also windows in the north and south outer walls, but these have been blocked up. Likewise the walls at the end of the colonnades are not original, and these block the vision into the transepts on either side.

In the bible Bethlehem is called "Bethlehem of Judah" (belonging to the tribe of Judah), to distinguish it from the other Bethlehem, which was in the North in the territory of the Zebulon.

David, the youngest son of a Bethlehem-farmer (a shepherd) is chosen and anointed by the Prophet Samuel on behalf of the Lord as a king. (First Samuel 17:12). According to Matthew 2 and Luke 2, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and Matthew interpreted this as the fulfillment of Micah's prophecy. In effect it became a sort of official rightful place of the family line of David.

Christian tradition, perhaps as early as the second century CE, identified a cave as the site of Jesus' birth.

The site of the Nativity of Jesus was identified by St. Justin Martyr, a 2nd-century Christian apologist, as a manger in "a cave close to the village"; the cave, now under the nave of the Church of the Nativity in the heart of the town, has been continuously venerated by Christians since then. St. Helena (c. 248-c. 328), mother of the first Christian Roman emperor (Constantine I), had a church built over the cave; later destroyed, it was rebuilt in substantially its present form by Emperor Justinian (reigned 527-565). The Church of the Nativity is thus one of the oldest Christian churches extant. Frequent conflicts have arisen over the jurisdiction of various faiths at the sacred site, often incited by outside interests; thus, for example, the theft, in 1847, of the silver star marking the exact traditional locus of the Nativity was an ostensible factor in the international crisis over the Holy Places that ultimately led to the Crimean War (1854-56). The church is now divided between the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Armenian Orthodox faiths.

There are many theories on the nature of the 'Star' and the date it appeared. The theories I have read link to a comet, a supernova, the planet Jupiter, among others. Dates have been correlated to events noted in the bible, Chinese astronomical records, art wrok from that time frame and other works that followed, theories I have encountered in my netaphysical cirlces about a link with UFO's and aliens, among others. The Star was seen by the Magi (see below). This word MAGI looks a lot like MAGIC. According to Herodotus, Magi existed in Persia in the sixth century BC. This is the timeline of Zoroaster - who we know was the same soul as Thoth and Hermes (the trickster) - one who used a rod to created the Magic - but manipulating the Mag[net]ics that create our reality. Something happened in the sky that was seen by the people of that timeline as the coming of a savior. The sighting was no accident - as there are no accidents. A special soul - here to bring spiritual balance to the planet - did enter at that time. As with all others before and after him - he failed.

The Star of Bethlehem has been considered either to be mythical or a miraculous object beyond the bounds of scientific explanation or a real astronomical phenomenon. The question of whether a celestial phenomenon reported in ancient literature in an historical context was a real astronomical object is one which occurs quite frequently. In all such cases it seems best to consider as a working hypothesis that the report is correct and to investigate whether any astronomical phenomenon exists which fits the report. Thus, tentatively, we take seriously the references in Matthew's gospel and in other ancient literature to the star of Bethlehem which is stated to have appeared near the time of the birth of Christ.

The earliest known account of the star of Bethlehem is in Matthew 2:1-12. Most scholars accept that the final text of this gospel may have been composed in about AD 80 from sources written in earlier times. Presumably one of these sources recorded the star of Bethlehem and the visit of the Magi. The account in Matthew describes how the Magi saw a star which they believed heralded the birth of the Messiah-king of the Jews. They traveled to Jerusalem and informed King Herod of the time when the star appeared, which indicates that the star was not a customary sight. The advisers of Herod told the Magi that, according to the prophesy of Micah, the Messiah should be born in Bethlehem, so the Magi journeyed there. The star moved before them and 'stood over' Bethlehem. The Magi found the place where the child was and presented him with gifts.

There are three main characteristics of the star of Bethlehem recorded in Matthew - it was a star which had newly appeared, - it traveled slowly through the sky against the star background - it stood over Bethlehem. This is characteristic of a comet.

Around 1303 A.D., Giotto painted a comet above the head of the infant Jesus in a fresco in the Arena Chapel in Padua, presumably using as a model the AD 1301 appearance of Halley's comet.20 The possibility that the star of Bethlehem was a comet has also more recently been suggested21 but without the detailed arguments given above and later.

A comet appeared in the east in 5 BC. which could have been the true birth date of Jesus.

Another popular theory is that the star was a nova or a supernova. The first suggestion that the star of Bethlehem was a nova was made by Foucquet in 1729, and possibly earlier by Kepler in 161412 and it has received considerable recent support.13 A nova or supernova satisfies the requirement that the star of Bethlehem was a single star which appeared at a specific time, but cannot account for the star moving through the sky.

From ancient Chinese astronomical records three comets are possible candidates for the star of Bethlehem, those of 12 BC, 5 BC and 4 BC. It is shown from historical and biblical evidence that the comets of 12 BC and of 4 BC were too early and too late, respectively, to be the star of Bethlehem. Hence the comet of 5 BC may uniquely be identified as the star of Bethlehem. The Chinese description of this comet, particularly its appearance in the east and its visibility for over 70 days, is consistent with the description in Matthew.

It is suggested that a combination of three unusual and significant astronomical events caused the Magi to set off on their journey. First there was a triple conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in the constellation Pisces in 7 BC. Such an event occurs only every 900 years. The probable astrological significance of this event to the Magi was that a divine king would be born in Israel. Second, in 6 BC there was a massing of the three planets Mars, Saturn and Jupiter in Pisces. Such a massing only occurs every 800 years (and very much more infrequently in Pisces) and it would have confirmed to the Magi that the king to be born in Israel would be a mighty king. Third, a comet appeared in 5 BC in the east in the constellation Capricornus. In the astrology of the times a comet in the east signified a rapidly approaching event. The comet was therefore the third and final sign which caused the Magi to set off on their journey. It is shown that the probable significance of the comet in Capricornus to the Magi was also that a very great king was about to be born.

Further analysis suggests that the birth of Christ was in the Spring, in the period 9 March-4 May 5 BC. Tentatively the period around Passover time is suggested (13-27 April 5 BC). This date is consistent with the available evidence including a reference in Luke to there being shepherds out in the fields at night. Although today Christmas is celebrated on 25 December in the west and on 8 January in the east, we suggest that the evidence of astronomy, the bible and other ancient literature points to the Spring of 5 BC as being the time of the first Christmas.

In 5 BC the first day of the feast of Passover (Nisan 15 in the Jewish calendar) fell on 20 April and we tentatively give several reasons which suggest that Jesus may have been born around Passover time. At Passover time all adult males were required to come to Jerusalem, hence Jerusalem and its neighbourhood were extremely crowded and nearby Bethlehem would be very crowded too. Censuses were not held on a particular day but were spread over a period of time and it is suggested that Joseph chose to visit Bethlehem for the census at the same time as Passover to save an extra journey. Thus the inn was full (Lk. 2:7) because it was the time of a feast71 in particular the feast of Passover.72 Josephus73 states that pilgrims came up to Jerusalem about a week before Passover to undergo the appropriate purificatory rites, and the feast itself lasted for one week. Thus it is tentatively suggested that the birth of Jesus may have occurred in the week before or after Passover in 5 BC, i.e. in the period 13-27 April 5 BC.

Birth at Passover time is consistent with Jewish expectations for the birth of the Messiah. For example, the Jewish scholar Abarbanal, c. AD 1497 and still expecting the Messiah, states that the messianic redemption will come in the month Nisan since the 'cup of Elijah' at the Passover meal preserves the symbolism that the new redemption will come during the same season as the Exodus from Egypt. A further clue may be provided by the words of John the Baptist near the time of the baptism of Christ. He twice greets Jesus with the words 'The Lamb of God' (Jn. 1:29, 36) and commentators have discussed the background of this strange phraseology. If Jesus was born at Passover time, particularly if he were born on 10 Nisan (sunset Sunday 14 April to sunset Monday 15 April in 5 BC) when the Passover lambs were chosen, without spot or blemish, John would have a clear reason to call him the Lamb of God.

- Colin Humphreys

The Magi are well known in classical literature as a religious group who were skilled in the observation and 'interpretation' of the stars. At the time of Christ they lived mainly in Persia, Mesopotamia and Arabia (now Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, respectively) and they are known to have visited kings in other countries. It is therefore consistent with our knowledge of the Magi that an astronomical sign could have led them to visit a new king.

The Magi were a priestly group among the Medes who performed religious ceremonies and interpreted signs and portents. Persia (now Iran) conquered neighbouring Mesopotamia (now Iraq) and from the fourth century BC onwards Magi were increasingly associated with astronomy and astrology, the observation and the 'interpretation' of the stars being closely related in ancient times and Babylon (in Mesopotamia) became the centre of ancient astronomy and astrology. In about 586 BC the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem and took the Jews into Exile. From the time of the Exile onwards Babylon contained a strong Jewish colony, and the knowledge of the Jewish prophecies of a Saviour-King, the Messiah, may have been well-known to the Babylonians and to the Magi.

In the Hellenistic age some of the Magi left Babylon and travelled to neighbouring countries to teach and practise astronomy/astrology, which was a core educational subject in the ancient world.5 Thus the first century AD Jewish scholar Philo of Alexandria stated that the student of astronomy perceived 'timely signs of coming events' since 'the stars were made for signs'.6 There is a strong tradition that the Magi who visited Jesus came from Arabia (now Saudi Arabia), which lies between Mesopotamia and Palestine.

Thus in about AD 160 Justin Martyr wrote 'Magi from Arabia came to him [Herod]' and in about AD 96 Clement of Rome7 associated frankincense and myrrh, two of the gifts of the Magi, with 'the East, that is the districts near Arabia'. We conclude that the Magi who saw the star of Bethlehem were astronomers/astrologers, who may have been familiar with the Jewish prophecies of a Saviour-King, and who probably came from Arabia or Mesopotamia countries to the east of Palestine. Matthew 2:1 simply states 'Magi from the East arrived in Jerusalem'.

It is important to realise that there are many references in ancient literature to Magi visiting kings and emperors in other countries. For example, Tiridates, the King of Armenia, led a procession of Magi to pay homage to Nero in Rome in AD 66.8 Thus a visit by the Magi to pay homage to Jesus, the new King of the Jews, would not have appeared as particularly unusual to readers of Matthew's gospel. However, the Magi must have had an unmistakably clear astronomical/astrological message to start them on their journey.

About 338 CE Constantine, the Roman emperor and his mother, Helena, built a church over the grotto and In 527 Justinian the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire resettled in Bethlehem, his reign was one of great prosperity and expansion of churches. The site of the Nativity is a central pilgrimage destination for Christians from all over the world.

Bethlehem was a city of importance to the Crusaders, who conquered it in the year 1100. Over years of wars between the Crusaders and the Muslims the city was destroyed, and then subsequently rebuilt. The Turks destroyed the city in 1244, but the church somehow escaped, Bethlehem was rebuilt once again.

When finally the Crusaders were driven from Palestine in 1291, the Moslem rulers used the holy places for political and financial ends. Although Bethlehem was still nominally endowed, collection of revenue from the land was impossible. In 1332 Pope John XXII wrote to Edward III of England, to David II of Scotland and to Simon of Meopham, Archbishop of Canterbury, asking them to help the bishop of Bethlehem to regain his interest and so enable him to return to Bethlehem and carry out repairs. It seems little was done.

Decay and destruction proceeded over the years as a result of fighting between the local Christian and Muslim residents.

The Population of Bethlehem today is made up of Christians and Moslems. Among the Christians: Catholics of Latin, Syrian, Malachite, Armenian and Maronite rites and Orthodox of Greek, Syrian and Armenian denominations. Protestants are present in the Judean town.

As a result of the Six-Day War, Bethlehem came under Israeli rule.

In December 1995, the town of Bethlehem reverted to Palestinian control. Israelis still have access to Rachel's tomb, on the northern outskirts of the city. Unfortunately, occasional outbreaks of violence continue to occur between Palestinian demonstrators from Bethlehem and Israeli troops stationed outside the city's limits.

The town has been a monastic centre for centuries; St. Jerome built a monastery there and, with the aid of Palestinian rabbis, translated the Old Testament into Latin from the original Hebrew (5th century AD). This, together with the New Testament, which he had translated from the Greek before coming to Palestine, constitutes the Vulgate, the standard Latin translation of the Bible used by the Roman Catholic Church.

Modern Bethlehem is an agricultural market and trade town that is closely linked to nearby Jerusalem. For a long time the town has been important as a pilgrim and tourist centre, and its trade has sharply increased since the abolition of the artificial armistice line between it and Israel (including western Jerusalem) as a result of the 1967 war. The manufacture of religious articles, chiefly of mother-of-pearl, is a traditional industry, as is the carving of olivewood. The town forms a conurbation with adjoining Bayt Jala, to the northwest, and Bayt Sahur, to the southeast. Bethlehem and its suburbs have many churches, convents, schools, and hospitals, supported by Christian denominations the world over. A large proportion of the town's population is Christian. A university was established in Bethlehem in 1973 and offers instruction in both Arabic and English. Pop. (1984 est.) Bethlehem proper (not counting 1,874 in refugee camp), 20,000; (1980 est.) Bethlehem, Bayt Jala, and Bayt Sahur, 58,819.

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