Bethlehem, the House of Bread
Birthplace of the Bread of Life the Lord Jesus
 Bethlehem is a Hebrew word that means: House of Bread. It is a small village that was built on a hill. It is 6 miles south away from Jerusalem. The region is known as "Ephrathah," Micah 5:2. The city is surrounded by hills that are covered by trees and beautiful plants. It has fertile soil and sweet water. The Bible mentioned that David the king longed once to drink water from a well in Bethlehem as he used to drink such water when he was a lad shepherding the sheep of his father. Bethlehem was so small and so it was not worthy to be mentioned in the cities of Judah, Joshua 15. This city was mentioned repeatedly in the Bible. It was the burial place of Rachel, Genesis 35:19. Naomi, Boaz, and Ruth lived there, Ruth 1:19. David was born in it, 1 Samuel 17:12. Samuel anointed David as a king instead of Saul in it. Asahel was buried in Bethlehem, 2 Samuel 2:32. Palestinian occupied the city one, 2 Samuel 23: 14-15. Rehoboam fortified that city, 2 Chronicles 11:6. Most of all, the Savior was born in it according to the prophecies, Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:5. St. Mary the Virgin was born in Nazareth. She was from the tribe of Judah and therefore came to Bethlehem for registration and she delivered Jesus Christ when she came to Bethlehem. The Divinity took flesh in it and so God dwelt among the people. A multitude of the heavenly host sang on its valley saying: “Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good will toward men.” Justinian of the 6th century rebuilt its walls. Despite Bethlehem was founded since more than 4000 years; it is still a small town. Empress Helen and Emperor Constantine built a church above the cave where our Savior was born. Emperor Justinian built the current church and it is the same place of the church that was built by Empress Helen. The church is used now by the Greek, Latin Catholic, and Armenian churches. There monasteries that belong to these three denominations around the church.
The cave lies inside the church of nativity. The cave is cut in a rock that is rich with calcium. It contains 2 small chambers. The northern side has a tile with silver stat where Jesus Christ was born. Justin the martyr is the first to mention that. Eusebius the historian and St. Jerome and many others that lived in the first centuries after the birth of Christ testified for that. The Bible tells us that Christ was born in a manger. The cave is then was used as a manager for the visitors of the hotel, (see the Arabic Bible translation where it mentions the word house).
 
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