According to archeological excavations and historical sources, we learn that Bethlehem was founded in the third century BC. That is: Bethlehem is 5000 years old – one of the oldest cities in Israel.
Bethlehem is located on the peaks of the Judean Mountains, about 10 km south of Jerusalem, at an altitude of 900 meters above sea level.
In the time of the Bible, Bethlehem was a small town of shepherds and farmers. The farmers mostly used to grow wheat in the fields near Bethlehem, and from the wheat, they made bread. Bethlehem exported bread to Jerusalem and the whole of Judea and was considered the bread-basket of all Judea. This has led to its name Bethlehem – the House of Bread (In Hebrew Beth means House and Lehem means bread).
The city itself was located on the peaks of the Judean Mountains. The town itself was small and very crowded, which teaches us that within the town itself there was not enough space for farmers to cultivate fields and agriculture, and the shepherds did not have enough space to graze their flocks. Therefore, the farmers and shepherds were forced to go out of the city. Where exactly? About 5 km east of Bethlehem begins the Judean Desert, which stretches east to the Dead Sea.
The soil in the Judean Desert is not suitable for crops and the amount of rain is very small. As a result, the farmers have no possibility of developing agriculture in the desert.
The Judean Desert is very hot and cold and there are no water sources nearby. As a result, the shepherds have almost no possibility of finding water and vegetables for their flocks.
Conclusion: The only place where farmers and shepherds could develop good agriculture and find vegetables and water for their flocks is only in the area between Bethlehem and the Judean Desert.
That is the reason why the area between Bethlehem and the desert is called “the fields of the shepherds”. That was where the farmers from Bethlehem had their fields, and there the shepherds grazed their flocks.
As I wrote above the type of rock, soil, and weather conditions in the area of the shepherds’ fields were excellent mainly for wheat but also olive trees and vineyards. Bethlehem farmers grew mainly wheat, but also fine olives from which they produced fine olive oil and wonderful grapes from which they produced fine wine.
Shepherds raised sheep, goats, but mostly lambs and kids (baby goats). The percentage of shepherds in Bethlehem, relative to the size of the population, was significantly higher relative to other cities and towns in Judea. That is, the number of lambs and kids in Bethlehem was enormous. Why did the shepherds raise so many lambs and kids?
The answer is because Bethlehem is only 10 km from Jerusalem. During the First Temple and Second Temple periods, on three pilgrimages (Sukkot, Passover, Shavuot), hundreds of thousands of pilgrims ascended to the Temple in Jerusalem. Every pilgrim had to bring a lamb, a kid, a sheep, or a goat to offer a sacrifice in the temple. At the entrance to the temple stood the priests who examined the quality of the sacrifice. The biblical law commands that the animal you want to sacrifice must be whole and healthy, free of diseases, wounds, scratches, fractures, etc. Only after the pilgrims passed the priests’ checkpoint and received approval for the animal that they had brought to sacrifice could they enter the altar and slaughter the sacrifice.
However, it is possible that on the way from the Galilee to Jerusalem, a journey that lasted 7-10 days of walking, the animal was injured, or fell ill, and was not approved by the priests in Jerusalem. What would the poor pilgrim whose sacrifice was not approved do?
Near the Temple in Jerusalem was a huge market of lambs, kids, sheep, and goats – young, healthy, whole, and beautiful. There the same pilgrim could buy an animal that he could sacrifice.
Tens of thousands of lambs, kids, sheep, and goats that came from the shepherds’ fields near Bethlehem were sold at the three pilgrimages market in Jerusalem.
Therefore, as I wrote above in Bethlehem lived many shepherds who grazed their flock in shepherds’ fields and sold them in the Jerusalem market during the three pilgrimages.
Bethlehem and the shepherds’ fields are mentioned several times in the Scriptures:
1) The first time Bethlehem is mentioned in the scripture is in the book of Genesis chapter 35 – Rachel’s death. Rachel was Jacob’s wife. She died while giving birth to her youngest son Benjamin and the Bible tells us that:
“19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.”
2) Later on, Bethlehem and the Shepherds’ Fields are mentioned in the Book of Ruth. The book of Ruth tells us about a woman from Bethlehem named Naomi whose husband was Elimelek. Naomi and Elimelek had two sons. At one point in the past, there was a severe famine in the land and in Bethlehem and so Naomi and Elimelek decided to take their sons, leave Bethlehem their city, and migrate east to the land of Moab. In Moab, Naomi’s two sons married two Moabite (non-Jewish) women. One was called Orpah and the other Ruth. The Book of Ruth then tells us that Elimelek and his two sons died. Naomi became a widow and decided to release her two brides: Ruth, 1:
“ 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. 9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”
Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!””
Orpah agreed to leave her mother-in-law and return to her parents’ house. The name Orpah in translation to Hebrew means: to turn back, for Orpah turned her back to her mother-in-law.
Ruth, on the other hand, refused to leave Naomi her mother in law and told her:
“But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
And so it came to pass that the Ruth the Moabite returned with her mother-in-law, Naomi, to Bethlehem. The Book of Ruth tells us that near Bethlehem there were fields (shepherds’ fields) that belonged to a rich man named Boaz. Who is Boaz? According to the Book of Ruth and Luke, Boaz was the son of Shlomo ben Nachshon (president of the tribe of Judah), and according to Matthew, Boaz is the son of Shlomo and Rehav of Jericho. Ruth found work in Boaz’s fields and began working for him. The book of Ruth tells us that, slowly, Ruth and Boaz fell in love and eventually got married.
Why is this story so important? Because the Bible tells us that later on, that the great-grandson of Ruth and Boaz was David. The son of Ruth and Boaz was Obed. The son of an Obed (the grandson of Ruth and Boaz) is Jesse. The youngest son of Jesse (the grandson of Ruth and Boaz) is David.
David, who later became the most important king in the history of the people of Israel was born and raised in Bethlehem.
3) Matthew 1:
“1 This is the genealogy of Yeshua the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.”
That is: from Abraham to David there are 14 generations, And From David to Yeshua – 14 more generations
Since David was Jesse’s youngest son, his role as a child and teenager was to graze his father’s flocks. In the shepherds’ fields, David, 3,000 years ago, spent his childhood and adolescence taking care of his father’s flock. There he was trained as a highly professional shepherd.
Then, the book of 1 Samuel chapter 16 tells us that after he was “very disappointed in Saul,” God sent Samuel “to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” Samuel does as he is commanded
1 Samuel 16:
“2 But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”
The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”
4 Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”
5 Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.”
That is: In Bethlehem, David was anointed, secretly, as king over Israel.
Then in 1 Samuel chapter 17, we learn about the young and little David, the shepherd from Bethlehem, who leaves the flock under the care of another shepherd, and at the command of his father goes to the goddess valley to bring food to his older brothers, and finally kills the invading giant Goliath with a stone.
The book of Matthew teaches us that from David to the Babylonian exile there are 14 generations and from the Babylonian exile to Yeshua (Jesus) there are another 14 generations.
That is: from Abraham to David – 14 generations. From David to the Babylonian Exile – another 14 Generations. From the Babylonian Exile to Yeshua – 14 more generations.
4) From Abraham we “ascend” to David. From the time of David we “descend” until we crash completely in 586-587 BC: the destruction of the First Temple and the Babylonian exile. From the Babylonian exile we “ascend and ascend” more and more to the climax: the birth of Yeshua in Bethlehem.
Matthew and Luke tell us Yeshua was born in Bethlehem. Luke 2:
“2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”
Joseph was originally from the tribe of Judah. Specifically, his family was originally from Bethlehem. When Caesar Augustus ordered the census to be conducted, Joseph and Miriam (who was in very advanced months of pregnancy) lived in Nazareth. Due to the census, they had to leave Nazareth and go to be registered in Bethlehem. The journey took place on foot from Nazareth to Bethlehem: about 7-10 days of walking. Presumably, when they arrived in Bethlehem the city was very busy because many people came back to be registered. That is, all the hotels and hostels in the city were full. They had no place to stay in a hotel, and then, in Bethlehem, Miriam had labor pains and she gave birth to Yeshua – her eldest son. Where exactly did Miriam give birth to her first-born son Yeshua?
According to the book of Luke “7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”
A manger is found exclusively in a stable. We conclude, according to Luke, that Yeshua was born in a stable in Bethlehem because they had no place in a hotel. The stable was found in a cave in Bethlehem. Today on top of that cave is the famous Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
It should be noted that because Bethlehem is very high, its climatic conditions are very difficult, especially in winter and summer. In winter strong freezing winds blow, it rains very heavily, and usually in December through February it snow. In the summer it is very hot and dry.
Therefore, especially in those days, it was very common for families to live and even house their animals in caves in Bethlehem. Not everyone had enough money to build a big, strong, and beautiful house. Those who could not afford to live in a house lived in a cave. We learn that especially on stormy winter days the family and sometimes even the animals gathered in a cave for protection from the wind, rain, and snow. In the cave, they lit a fire for heating, so it was warm and cozy. On hot summer days, when it was very hot outside – inside the cave it was cool and pleasant. These were the living conditions in Bethlehem during the First and Second Temple periods.
Very close to the place where the Church of the Nativity stands today (on top of the Cave of the Birth), many caves were discovered in archeological excavations, including remains from the First and Second Temple periods, such as coins, food scraps, animal bones, remains of cloth, jewelry, etc.
5) Immediately after the story of the birth, the book of Luke 2 tells us about the shepherds in the fields of the shepherds who were told that night about the birth of Messiah Yeshua in Bethlehem:
“8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”
In conclusion: The Scriptures teach us a great deal about Bethlehem and the shepherds’ fields, especially in the context of Rachel, Naomi, Ruth, David, and Yeshua.
In biblical times and during the Second Temple, Bethlehem was a very small Jewish town in the land of the tribe of Judah.
Today the situation is completely different; today Bethlehem is a very large Palestinian Arab city controlled by the Palestinian Authority (not under the rule of the State of Israel). Jews today no longer live in Bethlehem.
The population of Bethlehem today is about 40,000. 99% of them are Muslims. 1% Christians. Christians in Bethlehem make a living solely from tourism: hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops.
In recent years, due to the second intifada and the Corona pandemic, the security and economic situation of Bethlehem Christians has greatly deteriorated, and today many of them emigrate outside the borders of Israel.
