Bethlehem

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bethlehem
Image:Belen palestina.jpg A neighborhood in Bethlehem
Arabic	بيت لحم
Name Meaning	house of meat (Arabic); house of bread (Hebrew)
Government	City (from 1995)
Also Spelled	Beit Lahm[1] (officially) Bayt Laham (unofficially)
Governorate	Bethlehem
Population	29,930[1] (2006)
Jurisdiction	dunams
Head of Municipality	Victor Batarseh

Bethlehem Arabic: بيت لحم, Bayt Laḥm (help·info), lit "House of Meat"; Greek: Βηθλεέμ; Hebrew: בית לחם‎, Beit Lehem, lit "House of Bread") is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank, approximately 10 kilometers (6 mi) south of Jerusalem, with a population of 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism.

According to the Gospels, Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth. It is inhabited by one of the oldest Christian communities, which has dwindled in recent years due to emigration, mostly to the United States. In the course of its history, Bethlehem has been settled and/or ruled by the Canaanites, Israelites, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, Circassian Mamluks, Ottoman Turks, Jordanians, British and Israelis.

Modern Bethlehem has a Muslim majority but is also home to one of the largest Palestinian Christian communities in the Middle East. The Bethlehem agglomeration includes the towns of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour, as well as the refugee camps of 'Aida and Beit Jibrin. Rachel's Tomb, an important Jewish holy site, is located at the entrance to Bethlehem.

Contents 1 Geography and climate 2 History 2.1 City of David 2.2 Jesus' birthplace 2.3 Roman and Byzantine periods 2.4 Islamic rule and the Crusades 2.5 Bethlehem under the Ottoman Empire 2.6 Twentieth century 2.7 Second Intifada 3 Transportation 3.1 Taxi and bus services 3.2 Movement restrictions 3.3 West Bank barrier 4 Economy 4.1 Shopping 4.2 Tourism 5 Education 6 Demographics 6.1 Population 6.2 Christian minority 7 Government 7.1 Mayors 8 Culture 8.1 Embroidery 8.2 Museums 8.3 Culture centers 9 Twin cities 10 References 11 See also 12 External links

[edit] Geography and climate

Bethlehem stands at an elevation of about 775 m (2,510 ft) above sea level, thus 30 meters (100 feet) higher than nearby Jerusalem.^[2]

The winter season, from mid-December to mid-March, can be cold and rainy. January is the coldest month, with temperatures ranging from 13 to 1 degree Celsius (55°–33°F). From May through September, the weather is warm and sunny. August is the hottest month, with a high of 27 degrees Celsius (81°–63°F). Bethlehem receives an average of 700 millimeters of rainfall annually, 70% between November and January.^[3]

[edit] History

Bethlehem, located in the "hill country" of Judah, was originally called Ephrath (Gen. 35:16, 19; 48:7; Ruth 4:11). It was also known as Beth-Lehem Ephratah (Micah 5:2), Beth-Lehem Judah (1 Sam. 17:12), and "the city of David" (Luke 2:4). It is first mentioned in the Bible as the place where the biblical matriarch Rachel died and was buried "by the wayside" (Gen. 48:7). Rachel's Tomb stands at the entrance to Bethlehem. According to the Book of Ruth, the valley to the east is where Ruth of Moab gleaned the fields and returned to town with Naomi.

[edit] City of David

Bethlehem is believed to be the birthplace of David, the second king of Israel, and the place where he was anointed king by Samuel (1 Sam. 16:4-13). It was from the well of Bethlehem that three of his warriors brought water for him at the risk of their lives when he was in the cave of Adullam (2 Sam. 23:13-17).

[edit] Jesus' birthplace

One understanding of (Micah 5:2) was that it prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Accordingly, the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:4) reports that Jesus' parents are forced to leave Nazareth, their place of residence, and return to Bethlehem for a census, where Jesus is born, before they return to Nazareth, where Jesus grows up. On the other hand, the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 2:1) seems to report that the family lived in Bethlehem first, and later moved to Nazareth. Matthew reports that Herod the Great had "all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under" killed shortly after Jesus' birth (Matt. 2:16, 18; Jer. 31:15). In the gospel Jesus' earthly father Joseph is warned of this in a dream, and the family escapes this fate by fleeing to Egypt, returning only after Herod has died. But being warned in another dream not to return to Judea, Joseph withdraws the family to Galilee, and goes to dwell in Nazareth (Matt. 2:22-23).

[edit] Roman and Byzantine periods

In 132-135, the city was occupied by the Romans, who built a shrine to Adonis ^[4] on the site of the Nativity. A church was only erected in 326,^[5] when Helena, mother of the first Christian emperor, Constantine, visited Bethlehem.

During the Samaritan revolt of 529, Bethlehem was sacked and its walls and the Church of the Nativity destroyed, but they were soon rebuilt on the orders of the Emperor Justinian I. In 614, the Persians invaded Palestine and captured Bethlehem. A story recounted in later sources, holds that they refrained from destroying the church on seeing the magi depicted in Persian clothing in one of the mosaics.^[5]

[edit] Islamic rule and the Crusades

In 637, shortly after Jerusalem was captured by the Muslim armies, the second Rashidun Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab visited Bethlehem and promised that the Church of the Nativity would be preserved for Christian use.^[5] A mosque dedicated to Umar was built alongside the church.

In 1099, Bethlehem was captured by the Crusaders, who fortified it and built a new monastery and cloister on the north side of the Church of the Nativity. The Greek Orthodox clergy were removed from their Sees and replaced with Latin clerics. Up until that point the official Christian presence in the region was Greek Orthodox. On Christmas Day 1100 Baldwin I, first king of the Frankish Kingdom of Jerusalem, was crowned in Bethlehem, and that year a Latin episcopate was also established in the town.^[5]

In 1187, Saladin - the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, who led the Muslim Ayyubids - captured Bethlehem from the Crusaders, and the Latin clerics were forced allowing the Greek Orthodox clergy to return and replace them. Saladin agreed to the return of two Latin priests and two deacons in 1192. However, the town suffered from the loss of the pilgrim trade, as there was a sharp decrease of European pilgrims. Bethlehem was briefly returned to Crusader control by a treaty between 1229 and 1244. In 1250, with the coming to power of Rukn al-Din Baibars, tolerance of Christianity declined, the clergies left the town, and in 1263 the walls of the town were demolished. The Latin clergy returned to the town over the following century, establishing themselves in the monastery adjoining the Basilica. The Greek Orthodox were given control of the basilica and shared control of the Grotto with the Latins and the Armenians.^[5]

[edit] Bethlehem under the Ottoman Empire

During the years of Ottoman control from 1517 on, custody of the Basilica was bitterly disputed between the Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches.^[5]

From 1831 to 1841, Palestine was under the rule of Muhammad Ali of Egypt. During this period the town suffered an earthquake as well as the destruction of the Muslim quarter by troops, apparently as a reprisal for murder and rape. In 1841, Bethlehem came under Ottoman rule once more, and so it remained until the end of the First World War and the British Mandate for Palestine.^[5]

[edit] Twentieth century

In the United Nations General Assembly's 1947 resolution to partition Palestine, Bethlehem was included in the special international enclave of Jerusalem to be administered by the United Nations. Jordan occupied the city during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Many refugees from areas captured by Israeli forces in 1947-48 came to Bethlehem, setting up encampments in the north of the city near the road to Jerusalem and on the hillside to the south between the city and Solomon's Pools. These later became the official refugee camps of Beit Jibrin (or al-'Azza) and 'Aida (in the north) and Dheisheh in the south. This influx of refugees changed the demography of Bethlehem considerably, changing the Christian majority into a minority.

Jordan retained control of the city until the Six-Day War in 1967, when Bethlehem was occupied by Israel, along with the rest of the West Bank. On December 21, 1995, Bethlehem became one of the areas under the full control of the Palestinian National Authority in conformance with the Oslo Accords.^[6]

[edit] Second Intifada

During the Second Palestinian Intifada - which began in 2000-01 - Bethlehem's infrastructure and tourism industry was severely damaged.^[7][8] In 2002, it was a primary combat zone in Operation Defensive Shield, a major military offensive by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), in response to numerous Palestinian suicide bombings in Israel. During the operation, the IDF besieged the Church of the Nativity, where about 200 Palestinians, including a group of militants sought refuge amid IDF advancements into the city. The siege lasted for five days and nine militants and the church's bellringer were killed. It ended with the exile of 13 militants to various European and African nations.^[9]

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Taxi and bus services

Bethlehem contains four bus station but there is a limited bus service in the city and all bus lines are owned by private companies. Bus lines connect to other parts of the city's agglomeration, Jerusalem, Hebron, Nahalin, Battir and Beit Fajjar. There are three taxi stations within the city. Most of them travel between towns and cities from recognized taxi ranks, departing when they are full. Buses and taxis with West Bank licenses are not allowed to enter Israel - including Jerusalem - without a permit.^[10]

[edit] Movement restrictions

Most entrances into and exits from the Bethlehem agglomeration to the rest of the West Bank are currently subject to Israeli checkpoints and roadblocks, with the level of access varying based on Israeli security directives. Travel for Bethlehem's Palestinian residents from the West Bank into Israeli-controlled Jerusalem is regulated by a permit-system. Acquiring such permits to enter, what in the past served in many ways as an urban anchor to Bethlehem, has become exceedingly rare since the onset of the violence surrounding the Second Intifada,^[7] though Israel has subsequently erected a terminal for the stated-aim of easing transit between the two adjoining cities.^{[citation needed]}

After the Intifada's onset, Bethlehem was periodically placed under strict curfews which prevent residents from leaving their homes. Palestinians are not allowed to enter the Jewish holy site of Rachel's Tomb, which is on the outskirts of the city, without a permit.Since Bethlehem and the nearby biblical Solomon's Pools lie in Area A (territory under both PNA military and civil administration), Israeli citizens are not allowed to enter there without a permit from the Israeli military authorities.^[7]

[edit] West Bank barrier

The construction by Israel of the West Bank barrier has had a severely negative impact on Bethlehem; politically, socially, and economically. The barrier runs along the northern side of the town's built-up area, within meters of houses in 'Aida refugee camp on one side, and the Jerusalem municipality on the other.^[7]

[edit] Economy

[edit] Shopping

Shopping is a major industry in Bethlehem, especially during the Christmas season. The city's main streets and old markets are lined with shops selling handicrafts, Middle Eastern spices, jewelry and oriental sweets such as baklawa.^[11]

[edit] Tourism

Tourism is Bethlehem's primary industry and unlike other Palestinian localities before 2000, the majority of the residents did not work in Israel.^[7] Tourism accounts for approximately 65% of the city's economy.^[12]

The Church of the Nativity is one of Bethlehem's major tourist attractions and a magnet for Christian pilgrims. It stands in the center of Bethlehem in Manger Square, over a grotto or cave called the Holy Crypt, where Jesus was born according to Christian tradition. Nearby is the grotto where Jerome is said to have spent thirty years translating the Scriptures into Latin. The Mosque of Omar, the city's only mosque, and the Palestinian Peace Center are also located in Manger Square.

[edit] Education

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), in 1997, approximately 84% of Bethlehem's population over the age of 10 was literate. Of the city's population, 10,414 were enrolled in schools (4,015 in primary school, 3,578 in secondary and 2,821 in high school). About 14.1% of high school students received diplomas.^[13] There were 135 schools in the Bethlehem Governorate in 2006; 100 run the Education Ministry of the Palestinian National Authority, seven by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and 28 were private.^[14]

Bethlehem is home to Bethlehem University, a Catholic Christian co-educational institution of higher learning founded in 1973 in the Lasallian tradition, open to students of all faith traditions. Bethlehem University is the first university established in the West Bank, and can trace its roots to 1893 when the De La Salle Christian Brothers opened schools throughout Palestine and Egypt.

[edit] Demographics

[edit] Population

Year	Population
1945	8,820[15]
1961	22,450[16]
1983	16,300
1997	21,930[17]
2004 (Projected)	28,010
2005 (Projected)	29,020
2006 (Projected)	29,930

According to the PCBS, Bethlehem had a population of 29,930 in mid-year 2006.^[1] In the PCBS's 1997 census, the city had a population of 21,670,^[17] including a total of 6,570 refugees, accounting for 30.3% of the city's population.^[18]

In 1997, The age distribution of Bethlehem's inhabitants was 27.4% under the age of 10, 20% from 10 to 19, 17.3% from 20-29, 17.7% from 30 to 44, 12.1% from 45-64 and 5.3% above the age of 65. There were 11,079 males and 10,594 females.^[17]

[edit] Christian minority

See also: Palestinian Christian

The percentage of Christians in the population of Bethlehem has been steadily falling, above all due to continuous emigration, as well as owing to the lower birth rate among the local Christians compared to the Muslims. In 1947, Christians accounted for 75 percent of the population of Bethlehem, but by 1998, their share had dropped to 33 percent.^[19] Bethlehem's former mayor, Hanna Nasser, says an estimated 2,000 Christians in Bethlehem have emigrated during the period of 2000-2003.

On this subject, the current mayor of Bethlehem, Dr. Victor Batarseh explains that, "Due to the stress, either physical or psychological, and the bad economic situation, many people are emigrating, either Christians or Muslims, but it is more apparent among Christians, because they already are a minority, and it is because it is easier for a Christian family to emigrate, because they have family abroad already, in the U.S. in South or Central America, or Australia, or Canada," said Dr. Batarseh. "That is why Christian emigration is more apparent. We need this city to remain as a model of co-existence between the two religions. The more emigration we get this model will dissolve." ^[20]

The Palestinian Authority rule following the Oslo Accords officially promised equality to Christians of the Bethlehem area, but at times corruption in its judiciary enabled theft from them, and tolerated or even favored the attempts by religious zealots to enforce Sharia on the Christian population. On occasion the lawless atmosphere witnessed violence such as a 1997 incident where PA Police opened fire on and wounded six Christian residents of Beit Sahour. During the al-Aqsa Intifada, the Tanzim staged shootings onto Israeli homes from Christian homes and institutions in Beit Jala against the wishes of the inhabitants, and Israeli return fire often destroyed the firing positions, which was especially linked to Christian flight.^[21][22]

During his March 2000 visit to Bethlehem, Pope John Paul II urged Palestinian Christians: "Do not be afraid to preserve your Christian heritage and Christian presence in Bethlehem."^[23]

As owners of many of the hotels and services which cater to foreign tourists, the violence and resultant tourism downturn of the al-Aqsa Intifada also affected the Christian minority severely, leaving many economically stricken.^[24] A statistical analysis of why Christians are leaving the area blamed the lack of economic and educational opportunities, especially due to the Christians' middle-class status and higher education.^[25]

The current Hamas government's official position has also been to support the city's Christian population, which it feels can be useful in negotiating with the United States, though it has also been criticized for taking steps seen as trying to impose Islam on Christian neighborhoods. Under Hamas, the Christian population has continued to suffer from a lack of law and order which has left it susceptible to land theft by elements that take advantage of ineffective courts and the reality that the often affluent, but not politically powerful, Christian population is unlikely to stand up for itself.^{[26][27][24] [28]}

[edit] Government

The Bethlehem Municipal Council has fifteen elected members including the mayor and deputy mayor. A special statute requires that the mayor and a majority of the municipal council must be Christian,^[24] while the remainder are open seats, not restricted to any religion. There are several branches of political parties including Communist, Islamist and secular within the council. The leftist factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Palestinian People's Party (PPP) usually dominate the reserved seats. Hamas gained the majority of the open seats in 2005.^[29] It is the muhfaza (seat) or district capital of the Bethlehem Governorate.

Elected Candidates of the Bethlehem municipal elections of 2005

Rank	List	Candidate name	Gender	Religion	Votes	%
1	Brotherhood & Development (PFLP)	Victor Batarseh	♂	†	2690	36%
2	United Bethlehem (Fatah and PPP)	Antun Salman	♂	†	2164	29%
3	Reform (Hamas)	Hasan al-Masalma	♂	☪	2005	27%
4	United Bethlehem (Fatah and PPP)	Afram Asmari	♂	†	2000	26%
5	Wafaa (Palestinian Islamic Jihad)	Isa Zawahara	♂	☪	1922	25%
6	United Bethlehem (Fatah and PPP)	Khalil Chawka	♂	☪	1912	25%
7	Reform (Hamas)	Khalid Jadu	♂	☪	1853	25%
8	Hope & Labour (Fatah)	Zughbi Zughbi	♂	†	1808	24%
9	Reform (Hamas)	Nabil al-Hraymi	♂	☪	1752	23%
10	Reform (Hamas)	Salih Chawka	♂	☪	1716	23%
11	Reform (Hamas)	Yusuf al-Natsha	♂	☪	1716	23%
12	Brotherhood & Development (PFLP)	Nina 'Atwan	♀	†	1709	23%
13	Brotherhood & Development (PFLP)	George Sa'ada	♂	†	1687	22%
14	Independent	Nadir al-Saqa	♂	†	1537	20%
15	United Bethlehem (Fatah and PPP)	Duha al-Bandak	♀	†	1512	20%

[edit] Mayors

The mayor and the deputy mayor of Bethlehem are required by municipal law to be a Christians.^[24] The mayor is currently Victor Batarseh.^[30][31]

Mikhail Abu Saadeh - 1876 Khalil Yaqub - 1880 Suleiman Yusuf Jacir - 1884 Issa Abdullah Marcus - 1888 Yaqub Khalil Elias - 1892 Hanna Mansur - 1895-1915 Salim Issa al-Batarseh - 1916-17 Salah Giries Jaqaman - 1917-21 Musa Qattan - 1921-25 Hanna Ibrahim Miladah - 1926-28 Nicoloa Attalah Shain - 1929-33

Hanna Issa al-Qawwas - 1936-46 Issa Basil Bandak - 1946-51 Elias Issa Bandak - 1951-53 Afif Salm Batarseh - 1952-53 Elias Issa Bandak - 1953-57 Ayyub Musallam - 1958-62 Elias 'Issa Bandak - 1963-72 Elias Freij - 1972-97 Hanna Nasser - 1997-2005 Victor Batarseh (current) - 2005-

[edit] Culture

[edit] Embroidery

In the past, before the establishment of Israel as a state, Bethlehem costumes and embroidery were popular in villages throughout the Judaean Hills and the coastal plain and the women embroiderers of Bethlehem and the neighboring villages of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour were known to be professional producers of wedding costumes.^[32] Bethlehem was a center for embroidery producing a "strong overall effect of colors and metallic brilliance." (Stillman, p. 46.)

Less formal dresses in Bethlehem were generally made of indigo fabric and a sleeveless coat (bisht) was worn overtop, made from locally woven wool. Dresses for special occasions were made of striped silk with winged sleeves and the short taqsireh jacket, known throughout Palestinian as the Bethlehem jacket, was worn overtop. The taqsireh was made of velvet or broadcloth, usually with heavy embroidery.^[32]

Bethlehem work was unique in its use of couched gold or silver cord, or silk cord onto the silk, wool, felt or velvet used for the garment, to create stylized floral patterns with free or rounded lines. This technique was used for "royal" wedding dresses (thob malak), taqsirehs and the shatwehs worn by married women. It has been traced by some to Byzantium, and by others to the more formal costumes of the Ottoman Empire's elite. As Bethlehem was a Christian village, local women were also exposed to the detailing on church vestments with their heavy embroidery and silver brocade.^[32]

[edit] Museums

• Crib of the Nativity Theatre & Museum - Offers visitors 31 3D models depicting the significant stages the life of Jesus. The theater offers a 20 minute animated show.^[33]
• Badd Giacaman Museum - Dates back to the 18th century and is primarily dedicated to the history and process of olive oil production.^[33]
• Baituna al-Talhami Museum - Established in 1972, the museum has contains displays of the culture of Bethlehem's inhabitants.^[33]
• The International Museum of Nativity

[edit] Culture centers

Bethlehem is home to the Palestinian Heritage Center, established in 1991. The center aims to preserve and promote Palestinian embroidery, art and folklore.^[34] The International Center of Bethlehem is a another cultural center that concentrates primarily on Bethlehem culture. It provides language and guide training, woman's studies and arts and crafts displays and training.^[33]

[edit] Twin cities

• Image:Flag of Morocco.svg Rabat, Morocco
• Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Glasgow, UK
• Image:Flag of Norway.svg Sarpsborg, Norway
• Image:Flag of Germany.svg Cologne, Germany
• Image:Flag of Italy.svg Milan, Italy
• Image:Flag of Italy.svg Assisi, Italy
• Image:Flag of Italy.svg Pavia, Italy
• Image:Flag of Italy.svg Verona, Italy
• Image:Flag of the United States.svg Burlington, United States
• Image:Flag of Greece.svg Athens, Greece
• Image:Flag of Spain.svg Zaragoza, Spain
• Image:Flag of Spain.svg Leganés, Spain
• Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg The Hague, Netherlands
• Image:Flag of Chile.svg Villa Alemana, Chile
• Image:Flag of Chile.svg Concepción, Chile

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Star of Bethlehem
• Bethlehem of Galilee
• Elias Freij
• Municipal election in Bethlehem, 2005‎

[edit] External links

• Bethlehem Municipality
• Bethlehem Peace Center
• Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land website - pages on Bethlehem
• Bethlehem 2000 project
• Open Bethlehem civil society project
• Bethlehem University
• Wikitravel: Bethlehem
• Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem
• Bethlehem: Muslim-Christian living together
• Photo Gallery of Bethlehem from 2007

v • d • e Cities and towns in the West Bank
Abu Dis • Beit Jala • Beit Sahour • Bethlehem • Al-Bireh • Ad-Dhahiriya • Al-Eizariya • Halhul • Hebron • Jenin • Jericho • Nablus • Qabatiya • Qalqilyah • Ar-Ram • Ramallah • Tubas • Tulkarm • Yabad • Yatta

Coordinates: 31°42′11″N, 35°11′44″E

ar:بيت لحم br:Betlehem bg:Витлеем ca:Betlem cs:Betlém cy:Bethlehem da:Betlehem de:Betlehem el:Βηθλεέμ es:Belén eo:Bet-Leĥem eu:Belen fa:بیت‌لحم fr:Bethléem ga:Beitheal got:𐌱𐌴𐌸𐌻𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌼 ko:베들레헴 hy:Բեթլեհեմ hr:Betlehem id:Betlehem it:Betlemme he:בית לחם ka:ბეით-ლაჰმი ht:Bètleyèm la:Bethleem lb:Betlehem lt:Betliejus hu:Betlehem mk:Витлеем nl:Bethlehem ja:ベツレヘム no:Betlehem nn:Betlehem oc:Betelèm pl:Betlejem pt:Belém (Judeia) ro:Bethleem Efrata ru:Вифлеем simple:Bethlehem sk:Betlehem (sídlo) sl:Betlehem fi:Betlehem sv:Betlehem tl:Belén tr:Beytüllahim uk:Вифлеєм vec:Betleme wo:Betleyem zh:伯利恆