Bethlehem
The city of Bethlehem (meaning in Hebrew "House of Bread") is located south of Jerusalem.
It is inhabited by one of the oldest Christian communities but now has a Muslim majority.
Over many centuries, significant events for both Jews and Christians have occurred in the city, and influential figures of both religions were its residents.
According to Jewish belief, the traditional site of Rachel's tomb, which is an important holy site, lies at the city's outskirts. Rachel was Jacob's wife therefore considered as one of the four founding mothers of Judaism. Bethlehem is the birth-place of David, the second king of Israel, and it is also the place where he was anointed as king by the prophet Samuel.
The city has significant value for Christians as it is considered the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth according to the Gospels of Luke (Luke 2:4) and the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 2:1) . They report 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.
Bethlehem is also home to one of largest Christian communities in the Middle East. It lies about 10 km (6 mi) south of Jerusalem, standing at an elevation of about 765 m (2,510 ft) above the sea, thus 30 m (100 ft) higher than Jerusalem.
