# Beit Yala

> city in the State of Palestine

**Wikidata**: [Q803984](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q803984)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beit_Jala)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/beit-yala

## Summary
Beit Jala (also known as Beit Yala) is a city in the State of Palestine, classified as a large human settlement. It is located within the Bethlehem Governorate and the Occupied Palestinian territories, sharing a border with Jerusalem, and had a population of 13,484 in 2017.

## Key Facts
- **Classification**: City (large human settlement).
- **Location**: Located in the Bethlehem Governorate, the West Bank, and the Occupied Palestinian territories; shares a border with Jerusalem.
- **Population**: 13,484 (as of 2017).
- **Area**: 13 square kilometers.
- **Elevation**: 750 meters above sea level.
- **Coordinates**: 31.715833° N, 35.1875° E.
- **Official Name**: بيت جالا.
- **Aliases**: Bet Jala, Beit Dschala, Beit Yala, Bet-jalla, 拜特賈拉, 贝特雅拉, بيت جالا، بيت لحم.
- **Postal Code**: P164.
- **UN/LOCODE**: PSBJA.
- **Government Region**: Bethlehem Governorate.
- **Country**: Palestine.
- **Website**: http://www.BeitJala-city.org/ (English language).
- **Twin Cities**: Bergisch Gladbach, Jena (since Sept 2011), Pitești, and Reggio Emilia (since Feb 2019).
- **Getty Thesaurus ID**: 1083887.
- **GeoNames ID**: 284324.
- **GND ID**: 4663054-5.
- **Israel Antiquities Authority ID**: 3141.
- **VIAF ID**: 296338754.
- **Freebase ID**: /m/037jfh.
- **WorldCat Entities ID**: E39PBJvCKfkWQybpkjKW9w97HC.
- **GNS Unique Feature ID**: -793845.
- **Who's On First ID**: 101922347.

## FAQs
**Where is Beit Jala geographically situated?**
Beit Jala is situated in the West Bank, specifically within the Bethlehem Governorate of the Occupied Palestinian territories. It is physically located on a geographic feature that shares a border with Jerusalem.

**What is the demographic and physical scale of the city?**
The city covers an area of 13 square kilometers and sits at an elevation of 750 meters above sea level. According to data from 2017, the population was recorded at 13,484.

**What are the different names and identifiers used for Beit Jala?**
The city's official name is in Arabic (بيت جالا), but it has numerous aliases including Beit Yala, Bet Jala, and Beit Dschala. It is also identified by various international codes, including the UN/LOCODE PSBJA, postal code P164, and multiple academic database IDs such as the GND (4663054-5) and VIAF (296338754).

**Does Beit Jala have any international connections?**
Yes, the city maintains twinning relationships with several international municipalities. These include Bergisch Gladbach, Pitești, Jena (established in September 2011), and Reggio Emilia (established in February 2019).

## Why It Matters
Beit Jala serves as a significant urban center within the Bethlehem Governorate of the State of Palestine. Its geographic proximity, sharing a border with Jerusalem, places it in a strategically important location within the region. As a documented entity in numerous global databases and academic registries, it holds a distinct place in the geographic and cultural landscape of the West Bank. The city's active international twinning relationships with European cities highlight its global connectivity and diplomatic engagement. Furthermore, its identification in archaeological and antiquity records underscores its historical presence and continued relevance.

## Notable For
- **Strategic Border Location**: It is one of the cities that shares a direct border with Jerusalem.
- **High Elevation**: The city is situated at 750 meters above sea level.
- **Extensive Documentation**: The entity possesses a high density of cross-referenced IDs in global knowledge bases, including the Library of Congress, Getty Thesaurus, and WorldCat.
- **International Twinning**: It maintains sister city agreements with four distinct municipalities: Bergisch Gladbach (Germany), Jena (Germany), Pitești (Romania), and Reggio Emilia (Italy).

## Body
### Geography and Location
Beit Jala is defined as a city and a large human settlement within the State of Palestine. Geographically, it is part of the West Bank and falls under the administration of the Bethlehem Governorate. The city is located at coordinates 31.715833333333332 latitude and 35.1875 longitude. It covers a total area of 13 square kilometers and rests at an elevation of 750 meters above sea level. A defining geographic characteristic of the city is that it shares a border with Jerusalem. Visual representations of the area are available through a locator map image and specific photography hosted on Wikimedia Commons.

### Demographics and Administration
The most recent population data for the city records 13,484 inhabitants as of 2017. Administratively, Beit Jala is associated with the Occupied Palestinian territories. It utilizes the postal code P164 and the UN/LOCODE PSBJA. The city maintains an official website presence at http://www.BeitJala-city.org/, which is primarily in English. The official name of the city in Arabic is بيت جالا.

### International Relations
Beit Jala participates in municipal twinning agreements with several international partners. These relationships connect the city to:
- **Bergisch Gladbach**: A twinned administrative body.
- **Jena**: A relationship established with a start time of September 2011.
- **Pitești**: A twinned administrative body.
- **Reggio Emilia**: A partnership formalized on February 27, 2019.

### Identifiers and Classification
The entity is widely cataloged across numerous information systems, reflecting its status as a notable geographic and administrative entity. It is classified explicitly as a "city" and is linked to a category for associated people ("Category:People from Beit Jala").

Key database identifiers include:
- **GND ID**: 4663054-5
- **VIAF ID**: 296338754
- **Freebase ID**: /m/037jfh
- **GeoNames ID**: 284324
- **Israel Antiquities Authority ID**: 3141
- **Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names ID**: 1083887
- **GNS Unique Feature ID**: -793845
- **Who's On First ID**: 101922347
- **Library of Congress Authority ID**: no2013025138
- **Jewish Encyclopedia ID (Russian)**: 10472
- **National Library of Israel J9U ID**: 987007475219105171

### Nomenclature and Digital Presence
The city is recognized by a variety of names in different languages and scripts, including Beit Yala, Bet Jala, Beit Dschala, and Bet-jalla. It also appears in Chinese scripts as 拜特賈拉 and 贝特雅拉, and in an Arabic string variation as بيت جالا، بيت لحم. The entity is associated with Quora under the topic "Beit-Jala" and has a corresponding category on Wikimedia Commons. The Wikipedia title for the entity is "Beit Jala," and it has a significant presence with 26 sitelink counts across various languages including Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Hebrew, and Russian. The entity is also noted in some records as being said to be the same as "Giloh."

## References

1. [Source](https://international.jena.de/de/beit-jala-palaestina)
2. [Source](https://www.comune.re.it/argomenti/relazioni-internazionali/gemellaggi-e-cittadinanze-onorarie/beit-jala-palestina)
3. Virtual International Authority File
4. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
5. GeoNames
6. Quora
7. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File