Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Bethlehem

​Bethlehem (i.e., in Hebrew, the "House of Bread"), a small town in Palestine, situated on a limestone ridge, about six miles from Jerusalem, on the main road to Hebron. It was a place of great antiquity; and, under the name of Ephrata is mentioned in the history of Jacob. From the book of Ruth, which contains the romantic story of some of its inhabitants, it would appear to have had special connection with the land of Moab. At a later date it became famous as the birthplace of David, but does not seem to have received any special favours at his hand. It was fortified by Rehoboam; and the neighbouring inn of Chimham seems to have become a regular rendezvous for travellers proceeding to Egypt. Almost complete obscurity, however, was gathering round it when it became one of the world's most memorable spots—the birthplace of the Saviour. Desecrated during the reign of Hadrian by a grove of Adonis, the traditional scene of the nativity (a grotto on the eastern part of the ridge) was enclosed by the Empress Helena with a noble basilica, which still stands, surrounded by the three convents successively erected here by the Greek, Latin, and Armenian Churches. In the neighbourhood is still shown the traditional grotto where Jerome spent a portion of his life busy with his Latin translation of the Scriptures. Captured by the Crusaders in the 11th century, Bethlehem was made an episcopal see; but the bishopric soon sank into a titular dignity. The present village is well built and clean, and the inhabitants, who number about 3000, profess Christianity. The carving of crucifixes and other sacred mementoes gives employment to a number of persons.