Beth-lomon
Identity and Location
Beth-lomon is a variant form of the name Bethlehem, the famous city in Judah located about five miles south of Jerusalem. The name appears in the Greek text of 1 Esdras 5:17, where the inhabitants of Beth-lomon are listed among the returning exiles. The modern site is known as Beit Lahm (Bethlehem), which has been continuously inhabited for thousands of years.
The Return from Exile
The mention of Beth-lomon occurs in the context of the great return from Babylonian captivity. When the Persian king Cyrus issued his decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland (Ezra 1:1-4), families from Beth-lomon (Bethlehem) were among those who made the journey back. According to the parallel passage in Ezra 2:21, 123 men of Bethlehem returned with Zerubbabel, demonstrating that this community maintained its identity even during decades of exile.
Bethlehem's Biblical Significance
Though the name Beth-lomon itself is merely a textual variant, the city it represents holds enormous importance in Scripture. Bethlehem was the hometown of David (1 Samuel 16:1), the birthplace of the promised Messiah according to the prophet Micah (Micah 5:2), and the place where Ruth and Boaz began their family line that would lead to King David (Ruth 4:11-17). The return of Bethlehem's families from exile ensured the continuity of this historically significant community.
Textual Variations
The name Beth-lomon reflects the kind of variation common in ancient manuscripts. The Greek Codex Vaticanus renders the name as Rhagethlomon, showing further textual divergence. These variations arose naturally as Hebrew names were transliterated into Greek, and copyists transmitted texts across centuries. The canonical parallel in Ezra 2:21 uses the standard form "Bethlehem," confirming the identification beyond doubt.
Legacy of the Returning Community
The fact that Bethlehem's inhabitants returned from Babylon meant the town was repopulated and its heritage preserved. This was essential for the fulfillment of later prophecy. Nehemiah 7:26 also records Bethlehem's population in a later census, showing the community continued to thrive in the post-exilic period. The town's survival through exile, return, and rebuilding stands as a testimony to God's faithfulness in preserving the places and people central to his redemptive plan.
Biblical Context
Beth-lomon appears in 1 Esdras 5:17 as a variant of Bethlehem in Judah. The parallel canonical passage is Ezra 2:21, which lists 123 men of Bethlehem among those returning from Babylonian exile with Zerubbabel. Nehemiah 7:26 provides a later census of the same community. The city itself features prominently throughout Scripture as the birthplace of David and the prophesied birthplace of the Messiah.
Theological Significance
The return of Bethlehem's inhabitants from exile demonstrates God's commitment to preserving the communities central to his redemptive purposes. By ensuring that people returned to Bethlehem, God maintained the prophetic significance of this town as the future birthplace of the Messiah, fulfilling Micah's prophecy. The detail reflects the theological theme that God works through specific places and peoples across generations to accomplish his purposes.
Historical Background
Bethlehem (Beth-lomon) has been identified with modern Beit Lahm, located approximately five miles south of Jerusalem in the Judean hill country. Archaeological evidence confirms continuous habitation at the site from at least the Bronze Age. The town's name likely means 'house of bread' in Hebrew. During the Babylonian exile (586-539 BC), many of its inhabitants were deported, but a community returned under Zerubbabel around 538 BC following the decree of Cyrus the Great.