Bethlehem

American  

[beth-li-hem, -lee-uhm] / ˈbɛθ lɪˌhɛm, -li əm /

noun

1. a town in NW Jordan, near Jerusalem; occupied by Israel since 1967: birthplace of Jesus and David.

2. a city in E Pennsylvania.

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Bethlehem British  

/ ˈbɛθlɪˌhɛm, -lɪəm /

noun

1. a town in the West Bank, near Jerusalem: birthplace of Jesus and early home of King David

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Bethlehem Cultural  

1. The village near Jerusalem (see also Jerusalem) where Jesus was born. (See Nativity.)

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Example Sentences

The uplighted orrery glows on the faces of two boys who lean into the circuits of solar orbit as it once glowed on the faces of the shepherds and magi at the crib in Bethlehem.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

A black child among mostly Puerto Rican neighbors in public housing in Bethlehem, Pa., young Oliver was raised by his single mother.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

Battalions are gathered on the banks of Portland, Ore.; Bethlehem; Charlotte, N.C.;

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

In Bethlehem, the football club – which claims it did receive verbal permission in 2020 for the pitch – believes the threat of demolition is about far more than planning law.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026

The reading room, housed right up in the dome of the building, was formerly the chapel of the Royal Bethlehem Hospital—the old Bedlam.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan