It was after a long and meaningful trip to the Holy Land in 1865 that Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) wrote the beloved Christmas hymn, O Little Town of Bethlehem. Originally written as a poem for the Sunday school children at the Episcopal church that he served as rector (Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia), his words were eventually put to music and printed on an informal leaflet in December 1868 and then formally published in The Sunday School Hymnal in 1871. In God’s providence, the words of that short little poem about that tiny little town are now sung each year by millions and millions of people around the world.
As an interesting aside, while Brooks is now primarily known for the writing of that timeless Christmas hymn that highlights the birthplace of Jesus, it is also believed that he was the one that God used to introduce both Hellen Keller and Anne Sullivan to Christianity.
Without ambiguity, Luke 2:1-7 details the place in which Jesus was born, when it says, “Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Located in the sometimes volatile West Bank of Israel, the city of Bethlehem (House of Bread-House of Lahmu) is located approximately 6 miles southwest of Jerusalem. Today, with the benefit of modern transportation it might even be considered a suburb of Jerusalem. While its significance in the annals of Christianity goes without saying, you may be surprised at the many additional mentions of Bethlehem in the Bible.
Old Testament
Sometimes referred to in the Old Testament as Ephrath, the city of Bethlehem was the location where Rachel, the favorite wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph, died while giving birth to her son Benjamin (Genesis 35:16-19). Considered the matriarch of the Jewish people, her tomb, which is considered the third holiest site in Judaism, is still considered as a place of pilgrimage for Jews and Muslims alike.
Also referred to as “Bethlehem of Judah” (belonging to the tribe of Judah), it is distinguished from the other Bethlehem, which was in the north, in the territory of Zebulon. It was in Bethlehem of Judah that Naomi and Ruth lived (Ruth 1:19-22) and it was most notably where David, the youngest son of a Bethlehem shepherd named Jesse, was born and was eventually anointed as King of Israel by the Prophet Samuel (I Samuel 17:12). Later in David’s reign as king, as he engaged in battle with the Philistines, it was from the well in Bethlehem that David’s soldiers brought him water (2 Samuel 23:15).
New Testament
According to Matthew 2 and Luke 2, Jesus was physically born in Bethlehem, and Matthew interpreted this as the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy (Micah 5:2). In effect, the city of Bethlehem became known as the hub of the family line of David, of which Jesus is a part. While Bethlehem was once almost exclusively identified as the “City of David”, today ancient Jerusalem is also referred to by the same name.
Non-Biblical History
For centuries, the Jews and the Muslims have battled over control of Bethlehem. The country of Jordan retained control of the city until the infamous Six-Day War in 1967, when Bethlehem was captured by Israel, along with the rest of the West Bank.
Following the Six-Day War, Israel controlled the city until December of 1995, when, in accordance with the Oslo peace accord, they turned over the city of Jesus’ birth to the Palestinian National Authority, who controls it to this day. As part of the agreement, however, Israelis still have access to Rachel’s tomb which lies on the northern outskirts of the city.
Not surprisingly, there are still ongoing skirmishes between Palestinian demonstrators from Bethlehem and Israeli troops who are stationed outside the city’s limits.
My Observation
In November of 2018, I had the privilege of visiting Bethlehem. As I remember entering the city, there was a large sign at the border that read “No Israeli Citizens Allowed.” That sign was a stark reminder of the continuing unrest within the borders of the nation of Israel.
As we got through the security check, my first observation was that the city was significantly dirtier than the areas under Israeli control. Not only were the streets littered with trash and debris, there appeared to be little to no regard for traffic laws.
Interestingly, as we entered the heart of Bethlehem, we were required to employ a Palestinian tour guide who would help us to navigate around the city.
As we spent the day there visiting the sites, I was struck by the reality that my own spiritual heritage is tied to the city of Bethlehem. As the birthplace of my Savior, I paused to reflect upon why Jesus came to this earth, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
What a reminder it was that Jesus was born to die. His mission? To reconcile sinners to God. And to think that it all started right there in the little town of Bethlehem.