Beit Shemesh (Hebrew: בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ,; Arabic:بيت شيمش‎; Latin:Bethsames, Beth Shamesh or Bethshamesh in English translations of the Hebrew Bible) is a city located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Jerusalem in Israel's Jerusalem District, with a population of 98,084 in 2014. The history of Beit Shemesh goes back to pre-biblical times. The modern city of Beit Shemesh was founded in 1950.