Bethel (Easton)

DIC dictionary-entry · status:draft · license:PD

House of God. A place in Central Palestine, about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, at the head of the pass of Michmash and Ai. It was originally the royal Canaanite city of Luz (Genesis 28:19 ). The name Bethel was at first apparently given to the sanctuary in the neighbourhood of Luz, and was not given"> StudyL ı ght .org Plug in, Turn on and Be En light ened! Not Yet a Member? Click to Sign Up Now! --> --> Bible Study Tools Lang uage Tools Study Lib rary Hist orical Writings Pas toral Resources Per sonal Resources Site Resources Lectionary Calendar Saturday, June 6th, 2026 the Week of Proper 4 / Ordinary 9 video advertismenet advertisement advertisement advertisement Attention! Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda. Click here to join the effort! Home » Bible Dictionaries » Easton's Bible Dictionary » Letter B Bible Dictionaries Bethel Easton's Bible Dictionary Search for… Enter query below: or A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z Prev Entry Bethany Next Entry Bethelite Resource Toolbox Print Article Additional Links Concordances Scofield Reference Index Bethel Treasury of Biblical Knowledge Ai & Bethel Dictionaries American Tract Society Bethel Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Bethel Easton's Bible Dictionary El-Bethel Bethel Fausset Bible Dictionary Bethel Holman Bible Dictionary El-Bethel Bethel (2) Bethel Hastings' BibleDictionary El-Bethel Bethel Morrish Bible Dictionary Bethel 1910 New Catholic Dictionary Bethel People's Bible Dictionary Bethel Smith Bible Dictionary Bethel Wilson's Bible Types Bethel Webster Dictionary Bethel Watson's Theological Dictionary Bethel Encyclopedias 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Bethel Richard Bethell Westbury International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Bethel Bethel, Mount Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Bethel McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Bethel Bethell Christopher, D.D. Claxton, Robert Bethell, D.D. (only first 3 shown) The Nuttall Encyclopedia Bethel The Catholic Encyclopedia Bethel The Jewish Encyclopedia Bethel Strousberg, Bethel Henry (Baruch Hirsch) Lexicons אֵל בֵּית־אֵל בֵּית־אֵל House of God. A place in Central Palestine, about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, at the head of the pass of Michmash and Ai. It was originally the royal Canaanite city of Luz ( Genesis 28:19 ). The name Bethel was at first apparently given to the sanctuary in the neighbourhood of Luz, and was not given to the city itself till after its conquest by the tribe of Ephraim. When Abram entered Canaan he formed his second encampment between Bethel and Hai ( Genesis 12:8 ); and on his return from Egypt he came back to it, and again "called upon the name of the Lord" (13:4). Here Jacob, on his way from Beersheba to Haran, had a vision of the angels of God ascending and descending on the ladder whose top reached unto heaven (28:10,19); and on his return he again visited this place, "where God talked with him" (35:1-15), and there he "built an altar, and called the place El-beth-el" (q.v.). To this second occasion of God's speaking with Jacob at Bethel, ( Hosea 12:4,5 ) makes reference. In troublous times the people went to Bethel to ask counsel of God ( Judges 20:18,31 ; 21:2 ). Here the ark of the covenant was kept for a long time under the care of Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron (20:26-28). Here also Samuel held in rotation his court of justice ( 1 Samuel 7:16 ). It was included in Israel after the kingdom was divided, and it became one of the seats of the worship of the golden calf ( 1 Kings 12:28-33 ; 13:1 ). Hence the prophet Hosea ( Hosea 4:15 ; 5:8 ; 10:5,8 ) calls it in contempt Beth-aven, i.e., "house of idols." Bethel remained an abode of priests even after the kingdom of Israel was desolated by the king of Assyria ( 2 Kings 17:28,29 ). At length all traces of the idolatries were extirpated by Josiah, king of Judah ( 2 Kings 23:15-18 ); and the place was still in existence after the Captivity ( Ezra 2:28 ; Nehemiah 7:32 ). It has been identified with the ruins of Beitin, a small village amid extensive ruins some 9 miles south of Shiloh. Mount Bethel was a hilly district near Bethel ( Joshua 16:1 ; 1 Samuel 13:2 ). A town in the south of Judah ( Joshua 8:17 ; 12:16 ).

Source

• part_of source-manifest/easton — Easton's Bible Dictionary (PD)