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Bethel
Bethel [Heb.,=house of God]. 1 Ancient city of central Palestine, the modern Baytin, the West Bank, N of Jerusalem. According to the Bible, where it is frequently mentioned, it was originally called Luz (see Luz 1 ). The Book of Genesis relates that Abraham built his first altar in Canaan here and that the name Bethel, given to Jacob's sacred stone, was then transferred to the town itself. At the time of the Judges it was a national shrine. It temporarily harbored the Ark of the Covenant. Bethel lost its preeminence as a Jewish shrine to Jerusalem; in 1 Kings, Jeroboam's attempt to establish Bethel as a rival religious capital failed. Bethel thereafter became increasingly associated with heathen worship—hence the denunciations by Amos and by Hosea, who called it Beth-aven [house of wickedness]. Modern excavations have disclosed a temple wall, water gate, and palace complex, indicating the site was once a flourishing Canaanite cultic center. 2 Unidentified place, S ancient Palestine, mentioned several times in the Bible; instances of Chesil, Bethul, and Bethuel in the Bible are thought to be alternate spellings of Bethel. |
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"Bethel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Bethel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-BethelBib.html "Bethel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-BethelBib.html |
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Bethel
Bethel Formerly Luz, it was renamed by Jacob (Gen. 28: 18–19). In the northern part of the divided kingdom, it became notorious when Jeroboam established a rival sanctuary there with a golden calf to discourage his people from travelling south to Jerusalem (1 Kgs. 13: 1–32; 2 Kgs. 10: 29). Bethel was therefore denounced as idolatrous by the prophets (Hosea 10: 15; Jer. 48: 13). When Josiah, the reforming king of Judah (639–609 BCE), enjoyed a reign of prosperity, he was able to destroy the sanctuary and kill its priests (2 Kgs. 23: 15–20), though the city itself, which seems to have been destroyed earlier by the Assyrians (722 BCE) and re-built, was spared. The Babylonians under Nabonidus were less generous than Josiah and they destroyed the city again. But once more it rose and began to thrive right through the Hellenistic and Roman eras and the Middle Ages, and today is known as Beitin.
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W. R. F. BROWNING. "Bethel." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. W. R. F. BROWNING. "Bethel." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-Bethel.html W. R. F. BROWNING. "Bethel." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-Bethel.html |
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Bethel
Bethel (Heb., ‘House of God’). (1) A sanctuary north of Jerusalem. According to Gen. 28: 10–22, God appeared here in a dream to Jacob. On the division of the Hebrew Kingdom after the death of Solomon (c.930 BC), the first ruler of the northern kingdom (Israel) set up a ‘golden calf’ here; worship continued until 621 BC.(2) The small town near Bielefeld in Westphalia which gives the popular name to the Bodelschwinghsche Stiftungen. These are homes for epileptics, training centres for deaconesses and male nurses, and a college for Protestant theological students.(3) A name used, especially by some Methodists and Baptists, for a place of worship.
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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Bethel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Bethel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-Bethel.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Bethel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-Bethel.html |
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Bethel
Bethel. Town approximately 10 miles north of Jerusalem. According to Genesis, Abraham built an altar between Bethel and Ai (12. 6–8), and Jacob had a vision of angels ascending and descending on a ladder stretching between heaven and earth (28. 10–22). The name Bethel means literally ‘house of God’ and the place was said to have been so called by Jacob.
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JOHN BOWKER. "Bethel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Bethel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Bethel.html JOHN BOWKER. "Bethel." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Bethel.html |
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Bethel
Bethel town (1990 pop. 17,541), Fairfield co., SW Conn.; inc. 1855. Manufactures include wire, textiles, fabricated-metal and tool-and-die products; chemicals; and electronic, dental, and optical components. There is commercial printing. P. T. Barnum was born in Bethel. |
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"Bethel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Bethel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-BethelUS.html "Bethel." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-BethelUS.html |
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bethel
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "bethel." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "bethel." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-bethel.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "bethel." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-bethel.html |
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