Bethlehem, Carmarthenshire
Encyclopedia
Bethlehem is a tiny farming village
in the county of Carmarthenshire
, Wales
, lying in the Tywi Valley
northeast of Llandeilo
and southwest of Llangadog
but on the opposite side of the river from the busy London
to Haverfordwest
road, the A40
.
The centre of the village is approximately in front of the six council houses opposite the village hall
, with other houses, the Primary School, and a Post Office
scattered up and down the hill. The Nonconformist chapel after which the village was named is on a side road that follows the western edge of the Brecon Beacons
.
hillfort with great heaps of stones remaining from the original ramparts. Bethlehem is around 6 miles from Dinefwr
castle, capital of the pre-Norman Deheubarth kingdom and around 6 miles from the important and majestic Carreg Cennen
castle that arose later.
translated the Bible
into the Welsh language
in 1588, and translated the Aramaic name for Christ's birthplace
into the name we are familiar with. The village chapel was given the same name. Previously known as Dyffryn Ceidrich (valley of Ceidrich), the village came to be known by the name of the chapel, probably during the great Welsh Methodist revival
in Wales
of the 19th century.
market. A major attraction is to post Christmas cards from the village to get a Bethlehem postmark, a practice that first gained national attention in about 1965.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the county of Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, lying in the Tywi Valley
River Tywi
With a total length of the River Towy is the longest river flowing entirely within Wales, and is noted for its sea trout and salmon fishing.The river rises within of the Teifi on the lower slopes of Crug Gynan in the Cambrian Mountains and, flowing through the Towy Forest, forms the border...
northeast of Llandeilo
Llandeilo
Llandeilo is a town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th century stone bridge. Its population is 1,731.The town is served by Llandeilo railway station on the Heart of Wales Line.- Early history :...
and southwest of Llangadog
Llangadog
Llangadog is a community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales, which includes the villages of Llangadog, Bethlehem and Capel Gwynfe. A notable local landscape feature is Y Garn Goch with two Iron Age hill forts....
but on the opposite side of the river from the busy London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Haverfordwest
Haverfordwest
Haverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales and serves as the County's principal commercial and administrative centre. Haverfordwest is the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire, with a population of 13,367 in 2001; though its community boundaries make it the second most populous...
road, the A40
A40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
.
The centre of the village is approximately in front of the six council houses opposite the village hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
, with other houses, the Primary School, and a Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
scattered up and down the hill. The Nonconformist chapel after which the village was named is on a side road that follows the western edge of the Brecon Beacons
Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons is a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of popular peaks south of Brecon, including South Wales' highest mountain, Pen y Fan, and which together form the central section of the Brecon Beacons National Park...
.
Location and History
Bethlehem is overlooked by Carn Goch, a significant Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hillfort with great heaps of stones remaining from the original ramparts. Bethlehem is around 6 miles from Dinefwr
Dinefwr
Dinefwr was a local government district of Dyfed, Wales from 1974 to 1996. It was named after Dinefwr Castle which was the royal capital of the Principality of Deheubarth and one of the three principal royal courts of Wales....
castle, capital of the pre-Norman Deheubarth kingdom and around 6 miles from the important and majestic Carreg Cennen
Carreg Cennen
Castell Carreg Cennen is a castle near the River Cennen , in the village of Trapp, four miles south of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The castle's location has been described as spectacular, due to its position above a limestone precipice.- Description :Carreg Cennen Castle consists of a...
castle that arose later.
Etymology
William MorganWilliam Morgan (Bible translator)
William Morgan was Bishop of Llandaff and of St Asaph, and the translator of the first version of the whole Bible into Welsh from Greek and Hebrew.-Life:...
translated the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
into the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
in 1588, and translated the Aramaic name for Christ's birthplace
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
into the name we are familiar with. The village chapel was given the same name. Previously known as Dyffryn Ceidrich (valley of Ceidrich), the village came to be known by the name of the chapel, probably during the great Welsh Methodist revival
Welsh Methodist revival
The Welsh Methodist revival was an evangelical revival that revitalised Christianity in Wales during the 18th century. Methodist preachers such as Griffith Jones, William Williams and Howell Harris were such powerful speakers that they converted thousands of people back to the church...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
of the 19th century.
Popular events
Every year, the village hosts a traditional ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
market. A major attraction is to post Christmas cards from the village to get a Bethlehem postmark, a practice that first gained national attention in about 1965.
External links
See also
- NasarethNasarethNasareth , is a hamlet in the Nantlle Valley in Gwynedd, north Wales.-Population:The Current population of Nasareth is approx. 3,000,000....
, North WalesNorth WalesNorth Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
- William Morgan translates "Y Beible" http://www.llgc.org.uk/drych/drych_s076.htm.