In the Old Testament, the city is named after Beth Lechem, “House of Bread” and also Ephrata, whose name derives from the tribe that settled in these places and literally means “Fruit-Bearing.” Even the most modern names refer to the idea of a place of fertility and abundance. In Arabic, however, the name means “House of Meat” because of the large amount of flocks of sheep and goats, one of the most important activities in the area. Fr. EUGENIO ALLIATA Archaeologist Studium Biblicum Franciscanum-Jerusalem “The Bible speaks about Bethlehem several times, both in the Old and New Testament. From an archaeological standpoint, there are not many remains that were found in the city of Bethlehem but the few that have been found are consistent with what the Bible says about it. " It is remembered by Sacred Scripture as the city of David, also the burial place of Rachel, the wife of the patriarch Jacob . In 2012, in the National Park around the walls of Jerusalem, a 1.5-centimeter “bulla” was discovered engraved with the name of the city of Bethlehem, written in ancient Hebrew characters. According to Israeli archaeologists, it is the first tangible evidence of the existence of the city in ancient times. The birth of Jesus took place during the time of Roman rule. Near Bethlehem, in fact, one can also find Herod’s palace: the Herodion. Fr. EUGENIO ALLIATA Archaeologist Studium Biblicum Franciscanum-Jerusalem "In the Gospel, there is talk about the killing of the children of Bethlehem that were two years old and younger. We know that Herod was an important figure, well documented from a historical point of view and he lived in the Bethlehem area. There, he built a large palace that was also the place of his burial. The ruins of this palace have survived until this day, making realer the somewhat sinister figure that appears in the Gospels.” In the Museum of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in Jerusalem, one can find the objects found in St. Jerome’s grotto that are a witness to the periods of prophets who had announced the birth of Jesus ... as well as the period of the Crusaders and others. Fr. EUGENIO ALLIATA Archaeologist Studium Biblicum Franciscanum-Jerusalem “Here in the Holy Land, the most important thing in order to reach the historical era of the Gospel is Tradition. There is nothing more important than Tradition.” Fr. EUGENIO ALLIATA Archaeologist Studium Biblicum Franciscanum-Jerusalem “Now we can say that the tradition of Bethlehem has been witnessed through monuments throughout history, almost up until the time of Jesus’ birth.” The Grotto of the Nativity has the certainty of historical and archaeological records dating back to St. Justin Martyr of the second century. It soon after became a place of worship for early Christians in its place, until 135 when Hadrian built a pagan temple in order to stop the already established Christian worship. In 325, St. Helen, Constantine’s mother, built the great basilica above the grotto, which the emperor wanted to be worthy of the memory of the place of Jesus' birth. Then began a period of rebirth for all the holy places and numerous pilgrims many began to flock to them. It is still possible to see mosaics and columns from the original basilica. Fr. EUGENIO ALLIATA Archaeologist Studium Biblicum Franciscanum-Jerusalem “St. Jerome, a great writer who lived shortly after the time of Constantine, expresses the beauty and grandeur of this basilica - and at the same time, he also expresses a bit of his spirit - when he says “How one feels small walking below the ceiling filled with shining stars in the midst of great colonnades with the pillars painted with gold.” But he also said: The Lord of the Universe did not come into a palace, but he was born in a small hole in the earth. Fr. EUGENIO ALLIATA Archaeologist Studium Biblicum Franciscanum-Jerusalem “This is how we feel too. Seeing the beauty of certain buildings in Bethlehem, we are pushed to make the juxtaposition with the grotto, which is humble and simple, and which was the first witness of certainly the most important event in humanity.” “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; For a son has been born for us… and this is the name he has been given, 'Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace'…” (Isaiah 9: 1, 6 NJB) Read More