bethlehem

n. a city in the West Bank, Palestine, that is famous as the place where Jesus was born.

n. a city located in the West Bank, Palestine, traditionally identified as the birthplace of Jesus and King David.

“Many pilgrims travel to Bethlehem during the Christmas season to visit the historic church.”

“The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem remains one of the oldest continuously operating Christian sites in the world.”

n. a small building next to an Ethiopian church where bread for the religious service is made.

n. in the Ethiopic Orthodox tradition, a small structure adjacent to a church used specifically for baking the Eucharistic bread.

“The priest entered the Bethlehem to prepare the bread for the morning service.”

“Architectural surveys of traditional Ethiopian churches often document the Bethlehem as a distinct functional unit within the sacred precinct.”

Technical

n. an old word for a hospital for people with mental illnesses.

n. a historical and now obsolete term for a lunatic asylum, derived from the Hospital of Saint Mary of Bethlehem in London.

“In old stories, characters were sometimes sent to Bethlehem when they acted strangely.”

“The term 'bedlam' is a linguistic corruption of Bethlehem, reflecting the notorious reputation of the London asylum in the seventeenth century.”

Archaic