The first historical reference to the town appears in the Amarna Letters (c. 1400 BC) when the King of Jerusalem appeals to his overlord, the King of Egypt, for help in retaking "Bit-Lahmi" in the wake of disturbances by the Apiru.

Since the Jews and Arabs had not yet arrived in the area it is thought that the similarity of this name to its modern forms indicates that this was a settlement of Canaanites who shared a Semitic cultural and linguistic heritage with the later arrivals.

Bethlehem’s photos during the 19th century and early the 20th century:

Photos of little town of Bethlehem, Nativity Church, Events happened in Bethlehem during that era and images of the natives of Bethlehem.