City
Bethel
BETH-el · Modern Beitin, West Bank · Also called Luz (earlier name)
Bethel is a city of the biblical world, known today as Beitin, West Bank.
What is known
- Abraham built an altar and pitched his tent between Bethel and Ai early in his time in Canaan (Genesis 12:8; 13:3-4)
- Jacob, fleeing to Haran, dreamed of a ladder (stairway) reaching to heaven with angels ascending and descending, renamed the site Bethel ('house of God'), and set up a memorial pillar (Genesis 28:10-22)
- After the kingdom split, Jeroboam I set up one of his two golden calves at Bethel to keep the northern tribes from worshiping in Jerusalem, making it a rival cult center (1 Kings 12:26-33)
- The prophets Amos and Hosea both condemned the corrupt worship at Bethel in the 8th century BC (Amos 7:10-13; Hosea 10:15)
- Samuel held court and judged Israel at Bethel on his regular circuit (1 Samuel 7:16)
History
- Founded
- Settled by the Early Bronze Age; a walled Canaanite town named Luz through the patriarchal period
- Population
- A modest but strategically located hill-country town throughout most of its biblical history
- Industry
- Religious center and, under Jeroboam I, home to one of the two royal calf-idol shrines of the northern kingdom
- Coordinates
- 31.9306° N, 35.2406° E
Rulers and powers
- Canaanite city of Luz — before the Israelite conquest
- Kingdom of Israel (northern kingdom) — after the split, c. 930 BC onward
Scripture references
- Genesis 12:8
- Genesis 28:10-22
- Genesis 35:1-15
- Joshua 7:2
- Judges 20:18
- 1 Samuel 7:16
- 1 Kings 12:26-33
- Amos 7:10-13
On a modern map
Further reading
Reflect
Jacob met God in an ordinary place he called 'the gate of heaven' — where has God surprised you lately?
Capstone Bible is a free interactive study app — a map of every place in this library, a zoomable timeline of biblical and church history, the Bible text with every name in it linked to its article, reading plans and personal notes.
Open Capstone Bible