Bethel (Place), Bethelite

An important Old Testament city located about 17.7 kilometers (11 miles) north of Jerusalem on the north-south ridge road along the borders of Benjamin and Ephraim (Joshua 16:1–2; 18:13). Hiel, a resident of the city, is referred to as a Bethelite in 1 Kings 16:34. As a trading center, Bethel collected goods from both the Mediterranean coast and Transjordan through Jericho. Although Bethel was in a dry, hilly region, several springs provided enough water for its inhabitants. The oldest artifact found at the site is a water jar from around 3500 BC.

The name "Bethel," meaning "house of El (god)," might have been used by the Canaanites as early as the fourth millennium BC. Archaeological findings from between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age imply that the Canaanites worshiped the deity El on top of the hill.

The patriarch Jacob named the place Bethel—or gave the old name a new meaning—after God sent him a dream there (Genesis 28:10–22). The site was said to be known as Bethel to the patriarch Abraham (Genesis 12:8). However, this might be a later update of an older local name since Bethel was previously known as Luz (Genesis 28:19). It is possible that the sanctuary was known as Bethel and the nearby town was called Luz.

By the beginning of the Intermediate Bronze Age, around 2200 BC, the name Bethel was well-established and continued throughout its history. A biblical passage mentions both names, stating that a man from Luz founded another city with the same name in Hittite territory (Judges 1:26).

Although Bethel was assigned to the tribe of Benjamin, it was actually captured by the tribe of Ephraim from its Canaanite fortress (Judges 1:22–26; 1 Chronicles 7:28). During the period of the judges, the Ark of the Covenant was located at Bethel, where the usual Israelite worship practices took place under the high priest Phinehas, the son of Eleazar (Judges 20:18–28; 21:2–4). There is no archaeological evidence that the Philistines lived in Bethel during the time of the judges.

During King Saul's reign, Bethel was left alone when other Israelite cities were attacked (compare 1 Samuel 12–14). Archaeological evidence shows that Bethel was wealthy in the early parts of Saul's reign, but when he made Gibeah his capital, it began to decline.

When the kingdoms of Israel and Judah split during the time of Jeroboam I, Bethel became important again as the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. It was the counterpart to Judah's capital, Jerusalem. Bethel was one of two northern cities where golden calves were worshiped (1 Kings 12:28–33). The exact location of the sanctuary for this practice has not been discovered.

The city was also home to an elderly prophet (1 Kings 13:11) who might have been part of a prophetic community that existed in Bethel during the time of Elijah and Elisha (2 Kings 2:2–3). During the reign of Judah’s King Abijah, Bethel fell under Judah’s control (2 Chronicles 13:19) but was later returned to Israel. The prophet Amos delivered harsh criticisms of Israel’s social and religious life in Bethel, leading the priest Amaziah to expel him (Amos 7:10–13).

There is no archaeological evidence that Bethel was destroyed during the Assyrian conquest of Israel in 722 BC. In fact, one of the deported priests was returned to Bethel to teach Mesopotamian colonists about the ways of the Lord (2 Kings 17:28). Under Judah's King Josiah, the pagan shrine in Bethel was destroyed (2 Kings 23:15–20) but the city itself was not harmed. However, during the reign of either Nabonidus or Darius I, Bethel was burned, and by the time of Ezra, it had become a small village (Ezra 2:28).

An alternate name for Bethuel, a town in Judah’s territory (1 Samuel 30:27).