O Little Town Of Bethlehem

Bethlehem, a rural town about five miles south of Jerusalem, is set on a hillside overlooking the Dead Sea. It is surrounded by the rocky green hills of Judea, where shepherds still tend their flocks by night. Christmas cards showing the town picture Bethlehem in an idyllic setting -- and it is. But looks can also be deceiving. For thousands of years Bethlehem succumbed to a long series of conquerors -- from the Greeks, to the Romans, to Arab Muslims, to the Jews, to Christian Crusaders, to the Ottomans, to the British, and to the Palestinians -- and its quiet streets were, and sometimes still are, soaked with blood.
Today (in 2001), Bethlehem is controlled by the Nation of Israel. It is a thriving small city of about 20,000 population and a center of trade in a fertile region of Palestine that produces grains, olives and wines. But most of its economy comes from the tourist trade. Pilgrims from all over the world travel to Bethlehem to see the shrines associated with the birth of Christ, as well as the various religious artifacts kept there. Actually, there were two Bethlehems -- one to the north and one to the south. The southern one -- the birthplace of Jesus -- was called "Bethlehem of Judah" to set it apart from its northern neighbor. When Jesus was born, Bethlehem was a walled town of about 2,000 people.

Bethlehem means "house of bread" in Hebrew and "house of meat" in Arabic. It is an ancient town and is first mentioned in the Scriptures in connection with the death of Rachel (around 1950 B.C.). The tomb of Rachel still exists north of the town, a religious shine for both Jews and Moslems. It has also been the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting between Israelis and Palestinians in the past year.

Bethlehem is also the home town of the shepherd king David. It was here that Samuel found this son of Jesse and anointed him king after the Lord had rejected Saul as Israel's ruler. "And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons." (1 Samuel 16:1)

And it was Bethlehem that the prophet Micah predicted would be the birthplace of the Son of God. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2)

Five hundred years later, a Bethlehem-born carpenter, then living in the town of Nazareth, traveled to his home town with his pregnant wife to register in the Roman census. "And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child." (Luke 2:4-5)

When the couple arrived, the town was horribly crowded with other travelers. All the inns were filled to capacity. People would sleep on the floor in shifts. A sympathetic innkeeper, seeing the woman's delicate condition, offered the best accommodations that he had available at the time -- a stable. And it was there, on that crisp and starry night over 2,000 years ago, that the Son of Man came into the world.

And, finally, Bethlehem was the place where the cruel tyrant King Herod, in an abortive effort to kill the Christ child, ordered the death of all male children under the age of two. No one knows the body count in that terrible slaughter, but it must have been considerable.

Today, Bethlehem is located on the Israeli occupied West Bank. For the past three months, a Palestinian uprising for independence has left over 300 people dead. Bethlehem's mayor, Hanna Nasser, said that this year's Christmas celebrations would be low key -- but pilgrims should come anyway. The souvenir industry is hurting.

But Israel may declare Bethlehem a closed military area on Christmas Eve. They are afraid of bloodshed in the crowded town. In the past, much blood has been spilled in the streets of Bethlehem. It is a tragic irony that the birthplace of the Prince of Peace should have, even today, suffer such a legacy of blood and violence.

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Ed Price spent 35 years in print and broadcast journalism. He is author of 15 books. After becoming an ordained minister he settled with his wife on a farm in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, to study God's word and to write. Ed and Patty are the parents of three girls, have one grandchild, and cater to the every whim of two spoiled cats.
© 2008 Ed Price - All rights reserved. Visit his website, The Loving Heart.

This column is used with permission.