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

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

Once home to Bethlehem Steel, which filed for bankruptcy in 2001, the region has continued to expand its manufacturing base, helped by its proximity to ports in New York and New Jersey.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

But Anton Salman, who was mayor of adjacent Bethlehem when the field was built in 2021, told AFP the construction was legal.

From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025

Bethlehem Steel brought giant ingots and great slabs of military armor, including a curved plate seventeen inches thick meant for the gun turret of the dreadnought Indiana.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson