Bethlehem in Judah
Not to be confused with Bethlehem in Galilee.
The City of David where Jesus was born.
Inhabitants or Natives[edit | edit source]
Anne, the hostess of the holy Family, killed in the massacre of Herod, the twelve shepherds of the Nativity, Hezekiah the innkeeper who refused to receive the holy Family, the holy innocents, the two thousand babies massacred by Herod the Great, Elkanah and Elijah, the brothers of Johanna of Chuza[1].
Description[edit | edit source]
The City[edit | edit source]
I see Bethlehem, small and all white, gathered like a brood of chicks under the starlight. Two main streets intersect at right angles, one coming from beyond the country, it is the main road that continues beyond the city, and the other that crosses the city in its entire width but goes no further. Other small streets cut this small country, without the slightest trace of a master plan as we conceive it, but adapting to the terrain which is at several levels, and to the houses which are distributed here and there according to the accidents of the ground and the whims of the builders. Some turn right, others left, others at an angle compared to the street that borders them, forcing it to present itself like a ribbon unfolding with twists instead of being a straight path that goes from one place to another without deviation. From time to time there is a small square, either for a market, or for a fountain, or because, due to the buildings that rise at random, it has remained a skewed portion where nothing more can be built[2].
The Cave (the Manger)[edit | edit source]
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They approach this "den." It really is a den. Among the rubble of a ruined building, there is a shelter, beyond which there is a cave, more a hole in the mountain than a cave. It looks like the foundations of an old construction whose roof is made of materials supported by these barely squared tree trunks. To see more clearly, because there is very little light, Joseph takes out tinder and a striker, and lights a small lamp which he pulls from the satchel he carries sling-style. He enters. A bellow greets him. "Come. Mary, it is empty, there is only an ox." Joseph smiles: "Better than nothing! ... "[3].Besides GRM 207, the manger is located near the ruins of the David's Tower, after crossing a stream.
Notable Facts[edit | edit source]
It is where Jesus was born[4]. It is also the site of the Adoration of the Shepherds[5], then of the Magi[6], and the site of the massacre of the innocents.
Its Name[edit | edit source]
בֵּית לֶחֶם (Beth Lehem)[7]
Bethlehem means "the house of bread." First called Ephrathah "rich in fruit"[8]. Other names: Beit Lahm, Bet Lehem, Beth-Lehem, Beth-lehem-ephratah, Bethlehemjudah, Bit-Lahmi, Ephratah, Ephrath.
Where is it mentioned in the work?[edit | edit source]
GRM 22 GRM 28 GRM 29 GRM 30 GRM 31 GRM 34 GRM 35 GRM 73 GRM 74 GRM 81
GRM 207
GRM 538 GRM 539 GRM 577
GRM 601 GRM 628
Learn More About This Place[edit | edit source]
City of David 9 km south of Jerusalem. According to prophecies, the Messiah was to be born there[9].
"The distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem is long: nearly 150 kilometers. At the donkey's pace, it took four full days." This is the journey Joseph and the pregnant Mary made in early December to fulfill the requirements of the Roman census."[10]Excerpt from the Geographical Dictionary of the Gospel by Maria Valtorta, by Jean-François Lavère:
The city is located 8 km south of Jerusalem. It is mentioned several times in the Bible. It is the birthplace of David. Rachel was buried there (Gn 35:19)[11], and Ruth and Boaz lived there (Ru 1:1-2)[12].The hometown of Jesus, the City of David is the birthplace of Jesus, the site of the Adoration of the Magi and of the massacre of the innocents. "Bethlehem of Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come the ruler..."[13].
Thirty years later, Jesus returns there on a pilgrimage with Disciples, then with the Virgin Mary who exclaims: "Bethlehem! Oh! Dear! Dear land of my fathers who gave me the first Kiss of my Son! You are open, good and fragrant like the bread whose name you bear, to give the True Bread to the world dying of hunger! You have embraced me, you in whom has remained the motherly love of Rachel, like a mother, holy land of the Bethlehem of David, first Temple raised to the Savior, to the Morning Star born of Jacob to teach the way of Heaven to all Humanity!"[14].
It is also in Bethlehem that the apostle Thomas, despondent, finds refuge on the fifth day after the Passion. He testifies: "I wandered through the hills of Judea and yesterday I ended up in Bethlehem, in its cave. Like a fool I cried… I slept among the rubble and it was there that Elijah found me"[15].
In her descriptions of Bethlehem, Maria Valtorta cites several remarkable elements: the David's Tower, the Tomb of Rachel, the Cave of the Nativity and a nearby stream (the wadi El Djemel). (For more details, see these terms.).
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Nativity Hill seen from the north, Bethlehem, 2022.
Nativity Basilica, Bethlehem, 2022.
Explore[edit | edit source]
• 31° 42’ 20’’ N / 35° 12’ 30’’ E
• +750m
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
Note: Quotations from the work of Maria Valtorta on this page currently use machine-translated text and will gradually be replaced by the official English translation. Until then, the official translation may be consulted through the reference link provided with each quotation.