ISRAEL. Bethlehem: the city of David

Bethlehem

city ​​in kortorye Jesus was born. Grotto in the field of the shepherds, the Church of the Nativity...

Bethlehem - an ancient city on the west bank of the Jordan, near Jerusalem. In the days of the patriarch Jacob was called Efrafa - there buried his wife Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. It was about 2000 years before the birth of Christ.
Later, the city that has survived to this day - Beit Lehem - means House of Bread.
There was also born shepherdesses David, whom God chose as king of Israel, and from whom it was promised by the prophets, must be born Christ, the Savior of the world:

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet? out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them until the time will not give birth has given birth; then return to the children of Israel and the rest of his brothers. And He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God, and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. Micah, chapter 5

This prophecy was fulfilled in Bethlehem about 2000 years ago:

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census in all the earth. This was the first census Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. While they were there, the time she should be delivered; 
and gave birth to her firstborn son, and swaddled him, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn. 
In the country were on the field shepherds who kept watch by night over their flock. 
Lo, the angel of the Lord, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. 
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: 
For unto you is born in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord; 
and this is the sign: you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men! 
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that happened, which the Lord has told us. And came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. When he saw and told that it was told them concerning this child. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it was told. And when eight days were fulfilled to circumcise the child, gave him the name Jesus, named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. The Gospel of Luke, chapter 2

In 336, at the direction of the Roman Emperor Constantine on the site of the birth of Jesus built Church of the Nativity. In 529, the temple was burned during posstaniya Samaritans, over time it was restored by the Emperor Justinian, and later more than once suffered from earthquakes and fires.