Beit Shemesh (Hebrew: בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ,; Arabic: بيت شيمش‎; Latin: Bethsames) is a city located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Jerusalem in Israel's Jerusalem District, with a population of 94,100 in 2013. The history of Beit Shemesh goes back to pre-biblical times. The modern city of Beit Shemesh was founded in 1950.