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Bethlehem (inhabited place) |
Coordinates: |
| Lat: 31 43 00 N degrees minutes |
Lat: 31.7167 decimal degrees |
| Long: 035 12 00 E degrees minutes |
Long: 35.2000 decimal degrees |
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Note: Located in ancient Judah in central Palestine, 5 miles south of Jerusalem in the Judaean Hills. It is an ancient settlement, possibly mentioned in the Amarna Letters (14th-century-BCE diplomatic documents found at Tell el-Amarna, Egypt). In the Bible, the earliest reference to the town is in connection with Rachel, who died on the wayside near here (Genesis 35:19). The town is regarded by Christians as the site of Christ's nativity; it was an early home of King David; the nativity site was desecrated by Hadrian in 135 CE with the planting of the grove of Adonis; Constantine destroyed the grove & built a basilica here in 315; the grotto under the church is claimed to be site of Jesus' manger. The town has been a monastic center for several centuries; St. Jerome built a monastery here and translated the Old Testament into Latin from the original Hebrew, with the help of Palestinian rabbis in the 5th century. The town is an agricultural market and trade center and an important pilgrimage and tourist center. It produces religious articles and other items of mother-of-pearl and carved olivewood. |
Names: |
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| Bayt Laẖm (preferred,C,V,Arabic (transliterated)-P,U,N)
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............ | Arabic name, meaning "House of Meat" |
| Bayt Lahm (C,V)
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| Bet Lehem (C,V)
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............ | Hebrew name, meaning "House of Bread" |
| Bethlehem (C,V,English-P,U,N)
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| Bethléem (C,O)
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| Beit Lehem (C,V)
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| Beit Lahm (C,V)
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| Bet Leẖem (C,V,Hebrew (transliterated)-P,U,N)
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............ | meaning "house of bread" |
| בית לחם (C,U,Hebrew )
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| Bethlehem Ephrathah (H,O)
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............ | Old Testament name |
| Bethlehem-Judah (H,O)
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............ | an Old Testament name |
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Hierarchical Position: |
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Asia (continent) (P) |
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Place Types: |
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| inhabited place (preferred, C) |
............ |
ancient settlement, probably documented in Amarna Letters of 14th cen. BC |
| town (C) |
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| religious center (C) |
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| monastic center (C) |
............ |
particularly noted as site where St. Jerome built monastery & translated Old Testament into Latin |
| manufacturing center (C) |
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| episcopal see (H) |
............ |
captured by Crusaders & made episcopal see, 11th cen. |
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Sources and Contributors: |
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