Bethel
Meaning - "house of God"
Bethel is the place where Abraham camped (between Bethel and Ai) and built an alter to God and "called upon the name of the Lord" (Gen 12:8). It is near the center of the land, and appears to of had some spiritual significance to Abraham and his descendants. Abraham moved further south and then on to Egypt after there was a severe famine. He again moved to Bethel after returning from Egypt and again called upon the name of the Lord from the alter he had built earlier.
Later, Abraham's grandson Jacob camped at Bethel when he was fleeing from his brother Esau. Here Jacob saw angels ascending and descending on a ladder from heaven. God reaffirmed His covenant He had made earlier with Abraham concerning the nation of Israel. Jacob knew that this location had special spiritual meaning. While at Paddan-aram, God spoke to Jacob and identified Himself as "the God of Bethel, (Gen 31:13).
Jacob later returned to Bethel and built and alter to God (Gen 35:1). It was
here that God reaffirmed His covenant He had made with Abraham and changed Jacob's
name to Israel.
After the conquest of Canaan, Bethel went to Benjamin (Josh 18:21,22). The prophetess
Deborah, established her center of governance (judgeship) under a palm tree
between Bethel. Also, the Ark of the Covenant was kept at Bethel.
During the period of the divided kingdom, Bethel became a center of worship. When Josiah became king in Jerusalem in 640 B.C., he killed the priests and removed the houses on the high places, restoring the nation back to the worship of God (2 Kings 23:15-20). After the Babylonian exile, some of the Jews returned to Bethel (Ezra 2:29; Neh 11:31).
Bethel was originally called Luz (Gen 28:19). Today, Bethel is identified with Tel Beitin (north of Jerusalem and to the west of Jericho). There is another nearby location that others have proposed as Bethel as well.
Scriptures
Genesis 12: 8
Genesis 13: 3
Genesis 28: 19
Genesis 31: 13
Genesis 35: 1-16
Genesis 48: 3
Joshua 7: 2
Joshua 8: 1-17
Joshua 12: 9,16
Joshua 16: 1,2
Judges 1: 22-26
Judges 4: 5
Judges 20: 18-48
Judges 21: 2,19
1 Samuel 7: 16
1 Samuel 10: 3
1 Samuel 13: 2
1 Samuel 30: 27
1 Kings 12: 29-33
1 Kings 13: 1-32
2 Kings 2: 2,3,23
2 Kings 10: 29
2 Kings 17: 28
2 Kings 23: 4-20
1 Chronicles 7: 28
2 Chronicles 13: 19
Ezra 2: 28
Nehemiah 7: 32
Nehemiah 11: 31
Jeremiah 48: 13
Hosea 10: 15
Hosea 12: 4
Amos 3: 14
Amos 4: 4
Amos 5: 5,6
Amos 7: 10,13
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