Bethlehem Facts For Kids

Bethlehem is a small city in the West Bank, about 10 kilometers south of Jerusalem. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate and had about 28,591 people in 2017. Because many Christians believe Jesus was born there, the city welcomes visitors from around the world, especially at Christmas. The most famous place is the Church of the Nativity, built over a cave that long tradition names as Jesus’s birthplace.

Long ago Bethlehem was mostly Arab Christian, but over many years the mix of people changed so that today most residents are Arab Muslims and a smaller number are Christians. Movement around the city is limited by road rules and a nearby barrier, which affects daily life and travel.

Mother-of-pearl carving is one of Bethlehem’s oldest crafts. It began after Franciscan friars arrived in the 1400s and grew because pilgrims wanted small carved gifts. For hundreds of years, families made boxes, crosses, and decorations from shell pieces. This work gave many people, especially women, steady jobs and skills passed down through families.

Bethlehem also has places that keep its culture alive. The Palestinian Heritage Center (opened in 1991) shows embroidery and folklore. The International Center of Bethlehem trains guides and supports women’s arts. The Edward Said Conservatory teaches music to around 500 students. You can visit the Crib of the Nativity Theatre and Museum with 31 models and a short show, the Badd Giacaman Museum about olive oil, Baituna al-Talhami, the UNESCO-built International Museum of Nativity, and the Palestine Museum of Natural History at Bethlehem University. Which craft would you like to try?

In 637 a Muslim leader named Umar promised to protect the Christian church in Bethlehem, and a mosque later stood beside it. Over the next centuries the town belonged to different Muslim rulers, including the Umayyads and Abbasids, who kept a mix of religious life in the area.

In 1099 the Crusaders captured Bethlehem, fortified it, and brought Latin Christian leaders. A king was crowned there in 1100. Later Muslim leaders, like Saladin, brought the town back under Muslim rule and restored Greek clergy. Throughout the 1200s control changed several times, and after the Mamluks removed the town walls in 1263, fewer pilgrims visited and the town’s economy slowed.

Population in Bethlehem has changed a lot over time. In 1867 only about 3,000–4,000 people lived there. By the 1900s and 1900s the town grew: 8,820 people were counted in 1945, about 22,453 in 1961, roughly 21,930 in 1997, 25,266 in 2007, and near 28,591 by 2017. These numbers show the town grew but also had times of change.

Long-term changes also include who lives in Bethlehem. Many families were Arab Christians for centuries, but the share of people who are Christian fell from a large majority in the early 1900s to much smaller numbers by the 2000s (for example about 16% in 2016 and around 10% by 2022). People moved away for reasons like jobs, family choices, political pressure, and different birth rates. In 1997 more than a quarter of the town was under 10 years old, and by 2007 a typical household had almost five people, so families are an important part of the town’s life.

People have lived near Bethlehem for thousands of years. The town may appear in ancient letters as Bit-Lahmi, and it began as a Canaanite settlement with shared language and customs. A temple called Beit Lahama probably stood on the Hill of the Nativity long ago, and a large burial ground with over 100 tombs shows people lived there between about 2200 and 650 BCE.

By about 1200 BCE the area came under new groups such as the Philistines, and later the Greeks called the region Philistia. From the first centuries CE Bethlehem became famous to Christians because the New Testament names it as the birthplace of Jesus, and pilgrims visited the cave there by about 155 CE. Emperors and visitors later built and rebuilt churches on the site.

Church of the Nativity is the most famous place in Bethlehem because it is said to stand over the spot where Jesus was born. The Gospels tell that Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth and that early Christians remembered a cave as the birthplace. By the 100s A.D., people were already visiting that site. In the early 300s, Empress Helena helped build a church over the cave, and the basilica you see today grew from that long history.

People still come to Bethlehem from all over the world to visit and pray. Different Christian churches celebrate Christmas on three different days: December 25, January 6, and January 19. Many processions move through Manger Square near the basilica, Roman Catholic services meet at St. Catherine’s Church, and Protestant groups use places like Shepherds’ Fields. The New Testament also tells a story that Joseph’s family left Bethlehem for safety soon after Jesus was born, which is remembered in the town’s stories.

For centuries Bethlehem was part of the Ottoman Empire until the First World War. From 1920 to 1948 it was under British rule as part of Mandatory Palestine. After the 1948 war, Jordan controlled Bethlehem and many refugees settled nearby, which changed the city’s mix of people.

In 1967 Israel took control, and in 1995 parts of Bethlehem came under the Palestinian Authority. The city has seen fighting and tense times, including a long siege in 2002 when people took refuge in the Church of the Nativity. Today Bethlehem is more separated from Jerusalem by roads, settlements, and a barrier, and many families have left because life there became harder.