Meaning of BET-EL

The men of Ephraim entered and put all its Canaanite inhabitants to the sword, when they were settling in the recently conquered territories (Judg. 1:22-25); In the end, the city was, in fact, in the power of the Ephraimites (1 Chron. 7:28).

When the Israelites gathered at Mizpah, near Gibeah, to fight against Benjamin, they took the ark out of Shiloh, 18 miles away; From Mizpah it was then taken to Bethel, about 13 km away (Judg. 20:1, 27). The men of Israel went there to consult Jehovah; They erected a temporary altar there, offering sacrifices on it (Judg. 20:18-26).

At the end of the war, they returned to Bethel, appearing before Jehovah, and built a new altar, or repaired the old one, and offered burnt offerings (Judg. 21:2-4).

When there was no longer any priestly service in Shiloh, due to the loss and recovery of the ark, Bethel was one of the places in the circuit that Samuel traveled judging Israel; there the offerings were presented to God (1 Sam. 7:16; 10:3).

There Jeroboam, when the national schism took place, placed one of his calves (1 Kings 12: 29-33), to prevent the Israelites from going to Jerusalem to worship. An altar was erected, and sacrifices were offered to the idol, but it was condemned by a man of God, and the altar was broken (1 Kings 12:29-33; 13:1-32; Am. 7:10, 13) .

The prophets denounced idolatrous worship and those who practiced it (Jer. 48:13; Hos. 10:15; Am. 3:14; 4:4; 5:5, 6). It was then called Beth-aven, or "house of iniquity, or vanity" (see BETH-AVEN, cp. Hos. 4:15; 5:8; 10:5).

Amos, because of his bold preaching, was in danger at Bethel (Am. 7:10-13). Josiah destroyed his altars and high places; There he burned, as predicted by the prophet Abijah, bones taken from the tombs of the pagan priests (2 Kings 23: 4, 15-20).

Some inhabitants of Bethel returned from the Babylonian exile with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:28; Neh. 7:32); this city then returned to the hands of the Benjamites (Neh. 11:31).

The ruins of this city, called Beitin, are located on the dividing line of the slopes of Palestine, 18 km north of Jerusalem, on the top of a hill that descends towards the southeast, occupying about 80 hectares. They exist there. abundant archaeological and historical remains.