Place Old Testament
Bethlehem
Also known as Bethlehem =ESV, NIV; Beth-lehem =KJV
Bethlehem was a town allotted to the tribe of Zebulun, distinct from the more well-known Bethlehem in Judah. (Joshua 19:15) Mentioned once in Scripture, at Joshua 19:15.
Why it matters. Town in Zebulun, distinct from Bethlehem in Judah.
- Primary passages
- Location
- 32.735, 35.190 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Bethlehem
Bethlehem, mentioned in Joshua 19:15, is a town distinct from the more famous Bethlehem in Judah. This Bethlehem was located in the territory allotted to the tribe of Zebulun during the division of the Promised Land.
The name Bethlehem means "house of bread" in Hebrew, suggesting that the area was known for its fertility or grain production. The town is listed among other cities in Zebulun's inheritance, such as Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem, indicating its geographical proximity to these places.
Zebulun's territory was located in the northern part of Canaan, in the region of Galilee. The exact location of this Bethlehem is uncertain, but it was likely situated within the boundaries of Zebulun, which stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River.
No other information about this Bethlehem is provided in the Bible, and it is not mentioned in any other historical or archaeological context. Its inclusion in the list of Zebulun's towns serves to distinguish it from the Bethlehem in Judah and to provide a more complete picture of the tribal allotments in the Promised Land.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 1 verse across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.
Joshua (1 verse)