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But
you, O Bethlehem Eph'rathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose
origin is from of old, from ancient days.
-
Micah 5:2
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The name Bethlehem [Beit
Lehem in Hebrew, Beit Lahm in Arabic] means House of Bread,
reflecting its fertile grain-growing location. This village, on the edge
of the Judean desert, was the birthplace & home of David who was anointed
king of Israel by the prophet Samuel. Jesus, from the line of David, was
born here in fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Micah (5:2). Bethlehem's
40,000 residents, which is almost entirely Christian, and the surrounding
villages of Beit Sahour
and Beit Jala are
home to most of the Palestinian Christian minority. |
