the name probably means "House of Lahmu and Lahamu," a pair of Mesopotamian agricultural deities.

Bethlehem [N] [S]house of bread. A city in the "hill country" of Judah. It was originally called Ephrath ( Genesis 35:16 Genesis 35:19 ; 48:7 ; Ruth 4:11 ). It was also called Beth-lehem Eph [..]

(house of bread).+ One of the oldest towns in Palestine, already in existence at the time of Jacob's return to the country. Its earliest name was Ephratah , Or Ephrath or EPHRATAH. See (Genesis 3 [..]

house of bread. (1.) A city in the "hill country" of Judah. It was originally called Ephrath (Gen. 35:16, 19; 48:7; Ruth 4:11). It was also called Beth-lehem Ephratah (Micah 5:2), Beth-lehem [..]

A small village in the province of Judea twelve miles south of Jerusalem and approximately ninety miles south of the town of Nazareth, Jesus' boyhood home. It was the village in which Israel' [..]

(n) a town in eastern Pennsylvania on the Lehigh River to the northwest of Philadelphia; an important center for steel production(n) a small town near Jerusalem on the West Bank of the Jordan River; e [..]

"The house of bread” in Aramaic and Hebrew [בית לחם]. "The house of meat” in Arabic [بيت لحم]. The Holy City of western religions and a deep symbol. The birthplace of King David and Jesus.