Bethel travel guide

Bethel (בֵּית אֵל), also written as Beth El or Beth-El, meaning "House of God" (in general), or "House of (the specific god named) El", was a town in ancient Israel, about 10 miles north of Jerusalem. Its location is generally identified with the modern Palestinian village of Beitin in the West Bank; the biblical name has been applied to the adjacent Israeli settlement of Beit El. A second biblical Bethel, in the southern Judah, is mentioned in (Joshua 8:17 and 12:16), and seems to be the same as Bethul or Bethuel, a city of the tribe of Simeon.
Bethel is mentioned several times in Genesis. It is first mentioned in Genesis 12, but the best-known instance is probably Genesis 28, when Jacob, fleeing from the wrath of his brother Esau, falls asleep on a stone and dreams of a ladder stretching between Heaven and Earth and thronged with angels; Yahweh stands at the top of the ladder, and promises Jacob the land of Canaan; when Jacob awakes he anoints the stone (baetylus) with oil and names the place Bethel. Another account, from Genesis 35 repeats the covenant with God and the naming of the place (as El-Bethel), and makes this the site of Jacob's own change of name to Israel. Both versions state that the original name of the place was Luz, a Canaanite name. (...) more....

travel guide by edit this text

Latest Reviews for Bethel

Have you been here? Write a quick review:

 You are currently not logged in. Login or register to write a review.