At the time of Jesus’ birth, Bethlehem was simply a small village just to the east of the main road through Judah and just south of Jerusalem.
Political/Cultural Significance
Today Bethlehem is controlled by the Palestinian Authority and has a population of about 22,000, not including the suburbs of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour.
Biblical Significance
Ruth 1-4 Ruth moved to Bethlehem with her mother in law Naomi, married Boaz, and became the great grandmother of King David
1 Samuel 16:1-3 King David was born in Bethlehem and anointed here by Samuel as King of Israel.
Micah 5:2 Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be born in the village of Bethlehem. This was later fulfilled when Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-7)
