Some scholars suppose Bethlehem to take it« name from Lakhmu, a deity noticed in the Assyrian account of the Creation, but it is not known that he was adored in Palestine. Under the name Ephrath, B. is noticed in Jacob's time (Gn 35'«- " 48', if the gloss ' the same is B.' is correct), but it is not mentioned in the Book of Joshua (except in the added verse, LXX Jos 15"). The name Bethlehem first occurs In 1 S 10*. The cemetery is noticed in 2 S 2^, and the well in 2 S 23'''*. The tra- ditional sit« of this well is a rock-cut cistern north- west of the town. Bethlehem is ill supplied with water, and depends mainly on the lioman aque- duct tunnelled through the hill. The most prob- able dte U a well to the south in the valley.
The family of Caleb spread to Bethlehem (1 Ch 2'»- "•»'•"): the Philistines held the city in the time of Saul (2 S 23", 1 Ch II""); the well is then described as being ' at the gate.' Bethlehem was fortified by Kehoboam (2 Ch 11'), and occu- pied by the Jews after the Captivity (Err 2^, Neh 7**). In the 8th cent. B.C. (Mic 5-) it appears to have been a small place, still known by its old name Ephrathah, as well as by the later (comp. Ku 2* 4"), but possessing cornfields and — in Jeremiah's age — an inn (?). Whether Bethlehem is intended in Ps 132' as a place where the ark was supposed to be, api)ears doubtful. The birth of Christ at Bethlehem is noticed in Mt 2'- »•«•», Lk 2*-". The manger was not in the inn (Lk V), but prob ably belonged to it. The Gospels refer to Micah (5') as prophesying the birth of Messiah at the home of David.
The city was sacred to Christians from the earliest times, and the first care of the Crusaders was to secure the safety of its Christian population in A.D. 1099, before Jerusalem was taken. It was subsequently made a bishopric. One of the most remarKable Christian texts is that on the font in the Basilica, which is said, Avith true modesty, to have been presented by ' those whose names are kno'Nvn to the Lord. The glass frescoes are of high interest, and were presented by Michael Comnenos in the 12th cent. A.D. The crests of knights who visited the church in the Middle Ages are drawn upon the shafts of the Basilica pillars. For a study of this church, see de Vogiie, Valises de la Palestine, and SWP vol. iii. sheet xvii. For population, see Palestine.
2. Bethlehem of Zebulun. Jos 19", and perhaps j„ j2'- '". — Now the village Beit Lahm, in the low huls, 7 miles N.W. of Nazareth. SWP vol. ii. sh. v.
C. R. CONDEK. BETHLEHEMITE ('pn^iJ n<j), a native of Beth- lehem, is applied to Jesse in 1 S 16'- " 17", and to Elhanan in 2 S 21'». In 1 Ch 20» also we should prob. read '9n|?ci B'J for MT 'CniTH*. See Elhanan, Lahmi. ' J. A. Selbie.
BETH-LOMON (^aieXuiiCy), 1 Es 6".— For Beth- lehem of Judah.
BETH-MAACAH (n;yp n'j). — A descriptive epithet of the city of Abel, 2 S 20"- ", where 'Abel and B.' should be ' Abel o/B.' (cf. 1 K 15* 2 K \S^). See Abel, No. 1.
BETH - MARCABOTH (niT)?? »•» 'place of chariots'), Jos 19°, 1 Ch 4". — A city of Simeon in the southern plains, near Ziklag, deserted in David's time. The site is unknown.
BETH-MEON.— See Baal-Meon.
BETH-MERHAK (pTHV n>j), 2 S 16" RV, for the AV ' a place that was far off' ; RVm ' the Far House.' — Stade and others understand it to mean tlie last house of the city. No town so called is known between Jerusalem and Jericho.
BETH-MILLO (Jg 9* RVm : 2 K 12» AVm, text 'house of Millo').— See MiLLO.
BETH-NIMRAH (.tjij) n-j), 'place of leopard.' In Nu '.VI' Nimrah. See v.", Jos 13". — The same as Nirarim, Is 15*. Now the ruined mound Tell Nimrin, at the foot of the mountains opposite Jericho. A good-sized stream flows N. of the mound to join the Jordan. The town, with others in the Shittim plain, belonged to Gad ; the only city in this region assigned to Reuben being Beth-jeshi- moth, south of the plain. In the 4th cent. A.D. Nirarim was known (Unomasticon, a. v. Betham-
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BETH-PAZZEZ
BETHSAIDA
naram) as lying 5 Roman miles north of Lirias (TeU er-Rameh). See SEP vol. i. s.v. TeU Nimrln. C. R. CoNDKK.
BETH-PAZZEZ (pvs n-s), Jos lff°.— A town of Issachar near Engannim and Enhaddah. The name had not been recovered.
BETH-PELET (0^9 n-3), RV ; in AV Beth-palet, Jo3 15". Beth-phelet, Neh ll".— The Paltite (•a)z), 2 S 23'^, called by scnbal error Pelonite in 1 Ch 11" 27'°, was an Inhabitant of this place. The site was south of Beersheba, but is unknown.
C. R. CONDER.
BETH-PEOR (1^PV n<3), Dt 3^ 4*' 34«, Jos IS". See Baal-Peor (Nu 25'- ») and Peor (Nu 23-'«).— A Moabite town given to Reuben. The ' top of Peer ' commanded a view of the Jeshimon west of the Dead Sea, and seven altars were here erected by Balak. The Shittim Valley was ' over against Beth-peor,' and from Nebo the body of Moses is said to have been taken to a valley in Moab, ' over against Beth- peor,' which was not the Arabah or Shittim Valley. The name of Peor has not been found east of Jordan, but the site is placed near Heshbon in the Onomasticon {s.v. Abarim and Fo^or). There is no doubt that Beth-peor was named from Baal-peor (iiys), the god of the Moabites and Midianites ; and a possible site for the ' top of Peor ' is the cliir at Minyeh, south of Wady Jedeideh (probably Bamoth Baal) and of Pisgah (Nebo). The three points of view of the Israelite camp (Nu 23) were evidently on the edge of the Moabite olateau, whence alone Shittim was visible ; and the view from Nebo appears (v.") to have been less extensive than from the other two sites, so that ridges ex- tending farther west than Nebo would meet the reciuirement. This applies to the ridge above Wftdy Jedeideh, and to the ridge of Minyeh, the latter being the most southern, and extending farthest west. From it we may suppose (Nu 24i9-ai) -^gje seen Edom, Amalek, and the ' nest of the Kenite ' on a crag, indicating a position in the south of Moab, whence Edom and the conspicuous knoll of Yukin (Cain) are seen. The name Min- yeh is connected with a legend, and means ' wish- ing,' being the name of a deity, Meni (Is 65'|). Seven circles, including central altar-stones, still exist at the edpe 01 tae cliff. Farther east is a remarkable circtf w'h three standing stones, at a place called rJ, - Mareighdt, or • the smeared things' — evidently an ancient place of worship. Kounii the circle are numerous erect stones, and to the north a large group of cromlechs. This site, on the same ridge witn Minyeh, may repre- sent the old Beth-peor or ' temple of Peor,' wliile Minyeh itself represents the ' top of Peor.' To the south of the ridge is the fine ravine of the Zerka Mft'in — probably Nahaliel or the ' valley of God,' and this would be a natural site for the burial of Moses in a valley ' over against Beth-peor.'