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where did the name bethel come from

by Allison Olson Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Bethel is a gender-neutral name with religious roots. It stems from Hebrew origins and means "house of God." In the Bible, Bethel was the placename given to the spot where Abraham built an altar. This gentle given name has a soft, soothing quality and is pronounced BETH-el.

What was the original name of Bethel in the Bible?

Another account, from Genesis 35 [8] repeats the covenant with God and the naming of the place (as El-Bethel), and makes this the site of Jacob's own change of name to Israel. Both versions state that the original name of the place was Luz, a Canaanite name. Depiction of Jacob's dream at Bethel, by José de Ribera.

Did Bethel exist before Abram?

If we are to accept the precise definition of ( Genesis 12:8 ) the name of Bethel would appear to have existed at this spot even before the arrival of Abram in Canaan. ( Genesis 12:8 ; Genesis 13:3 Genesis 13:4 ) Bethel was the scene of Jacobs vision.

Why did Saul go to Bethel in the Bible?

At I Samuel 10:3, Samuel tells Saul to go to Bethel to visit the 'Hill of God,' where he will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a 'psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp.' It appears that there was a Philistine garrison there at that time.

What does baithel mean in the Bible?

beth'-el (beth-'el; Baithel and oikos theou, literally, "house of God"): (1) A town near the place where Abraham halted and offered sacrifice on his way south from Shechem. 1. Identification and Description:

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What does Bethel mean?

Definition of bethel 1 : a hallowed spot. 2a : a chapel for Nonconformists. b : a place of worship for seamen.

What ethnicity is Bethel?

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bethel was: What is this? 59.03%, or 4,470 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic White Only". 33.91%, or 2,568 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic Black Only".

What is the biblical meaning of the name Bethel?

House of GodBethel ("House of God") is mentioned in the Bible as the site where Jacob slept and dreamed of angels going up and down a ladder (Genesis 28:19). Some scholars identify Beit El with the site of the biblical Bethel. The first to establish the village of Beitin as the site of Bethel was Edward Robinson, in 1838.

What is Bethel called today?

BaytinBethel, ancient city of Palestine, located just north of Jerusalem. Originally called Luz and in modern times Baytin, Bethel was important in Old Testament times and was frequently associated with Abraham and Jacob.

How common is the last name Bethel?

In the United States, the name Bethel is the 3,995th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name.

Why did Jacob call the place Bethel?

Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother. Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel.

Why did God send Jacob back to Bethel?

“Bethel” means the House of God. It is a place of solitude and intimacy with God. God wants His people to return to the House of God and dwell there. Going back to Bethel means separation from sin, and fellowship with God.

Is Bethel a real name?

The name Bethel is primarily a female name of Hebrew origin that means House Of God.

How far was Bethel from Jerusalem?

about ten milesLocated about ten miles north of Jerusalem near the border of Israel and Judah, Bethel was known as Luz in pre-Israelite times (Gen. 28:19). The name “Bethel” (beit el) means the "house (or place) of God." Abraham, according to Genesis 12:8, built an altar east of Bethel shortly after arriving in Canaan from Haran.

What does Bethel Church believe?

We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, born of the Virgin Mary, sinless in life, who atoned for the sins of the world by His substitutionary death on the cross. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His ascension into heaven, and His High Priestly intercession for His people.

How do you pronounce the name Bethel?

0:140:47How to Pronounce Bethel? (CORRECTLY) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHow do you go about saying it bethel you do want to stress on the first syllable. The syllableMoreHow do you go about saying it bethel you do want to stress on the first syllable. The syllable bethel pretty straightforward once you know bethel did you get it let me know in the comments.

What does "bethel" mean?

For other uses, see Bethel (disambiguation). Bethel ( Ugaritic: bt il, meaning "House of El " or "House of God", Hebrew: בֵּית אֵל ‎ ḇêṯ’êl, also transliterated Beth El, Beth-El, Beit El; Greek: Βαιθηλ; Latin: Bethel) is the name of a place (a toponym) often used in the Hebrew Bible. It is first mentioned in Genesis 12:8 as being ...

What does Hosea 13:1–3 mean?

Hosea 13:1–3 describes how the Israelites are abandoning Adonai for the worship of Baal, and accuses them of making or using images for 'idol' worship. Chief among these, it appears, was the image of the bull at Bethel, which by the time of Hosea was being worshipped as an image of Baal.

What is the name of the village in the West Bank?

Most academics identify Bethel with the Arab West Bank village Beitin, a minority opinion preferring El-Bireh. Ten years after the 1967 Six-Day War, the biblical name was applied to the Israeli settlement of Beit El, constructed adjacent to Beitin.

Why did Jeroboam make gold?

This was apparently to make it unnecessary for the people of Israel to have to go to Jerusalem to worship in the temple there. It seems that this action provoked the hostility of the Judaeans. A story is told at 1 Kings 13:1 ff of how a man from Judah visited the shrine at Bethel and prophesied that it would eventually be destroyed by Josiah .

What happened to Elisha when he returned alone to Bethel?

Later, when Elisha returned alone to Bethel, he was taunted by some young men (not 'young boys' as it is translated in some English Bibles) as he climbed up to the shrine, and cursed them; whereupon 42 of the young men were mauled by bears ( 2 Kings 2:23 ff).

What is the name of the place Jacob changed to?

Another account, from Genesis 35 repeats the covenant with God and the naming of the place (as El-Bethel), and makes this the site of Jacob's own change of name to Israel. Both versions state that the original name of the place was Luz, a Canaanite name.

Where is Deborah in Judges 4?

Bethel is said in Judges 4:5 to be in Mt. Ephraim .

How many lines of text are there in Early Bethel?

He "was the third son of Sir Walter Bethel of Alne, Yorkshire, who married Mary, the second daughter of Sir Henry Slingsby of Scriven... Another 82 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bethel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

What does the name Bethel mean?

The Welsh name Bethel is a patronymic surname created from the Welsh personal name Ithel. The surname Bethel features the distinctive Welsh patronymic prefix "ab" or "ap," which mean "son of.". The original form of the name was ab-Ithell, but the prefix has been assimilated into the surname over the course of time. [1]

What was the Bethel migration?

Bethel migration to Australia +. Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Bethel Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century.

How old was Jabez Bethel when he arrived in New York?

Jabez Bethel, aged 19, who landed in New York in 1854 [3]

Why did the people of Wales travel to North America?

They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Bethel:

Where did the name Bethel originate?

Early Origins of the Bethel family. The surname Bethel was first found in Herefordshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times. However, some of the family were found at Watton in the East Riding of Yorkshire at early times. "A great part of the soil belongs to Richard Bethell, Esq., whose family were long seated at Walton Abbey, ...

When did the motto start?

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries , but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto.

What does Bethel mean?

The name Bethel consists of two elements. The first part of the name is the word בית ( bayit ), meaning house :

What does God mean in Hebrew?

In English, the words 'God' and 'god' exclusively refer to the deity but in Hebrew the words אל ( 'l) and אלה ( 'lh) are far more common and may express approach and negation, acts of wailing and pointing, and may even mean oak or terebinth. — See the full Dictionary article —.

Why was Bethel named after Jacob?

That Bethel was named so by Jacob after he sees his famous vision in which a ladder reaches into the heavens. Before that event this town was known as Luz (Genesis 28:19). Long before Jacob, Abraham dwelled there too (Genesis 12:8). And long after, the judge Samuel held court in Bethel (1 Samuel 7:15). Bethel is also the location of the gruesome scene in which two bears kill 42 boys after they mocked the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 2:23; see for a discussion of that scene our Biblical commentary ).

Where is the scene where two bears kill 42 boys?

Bethel is also the location of the gruesome scene in which two bears kill 42 boys after they mocked the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 2:23; see for a discussion of that scene our Biblical commentary ).

Where is Bethel in the Bible?

Bethel [S] house of God. A place in Central Palestine, about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, at the head of the pass of Michmash and Ai. It was originally the royal Canaanite city of Luz ( Genesis 28:19 ). The name Bethel was at first apparently given to the sanctuary in ...

What is the meaning of Zechariah 7:2?

Zechariah ( Zechariah 7:2) records the sending of certain men from Jerusalem in the 4th year of King Darius to inquire regarding particular religious practices. Bethel was one of the towns fortified by Bacchides in the time of the Maccabees (1 Macc 9:50; Ant, XIII, i, 3).

What did Jacob set up for a pillar?

In the morning Jacob set up "for a pillar" the stone which had served as his pillow ( Genesis 28:18; see PILLAR, matstsebhah), poured oil upon it and called the name of the place Bethel, "house of God"; that is, of God whose epiphany was for him associated with the pillar.

Who was slain by a lion in Bethel?

To Bethel came the man of God from Judah who pronounced doom against Jeroboam ( 1 Kings 13 ), and who , having been seduced from duty by an aged prophet in Bethel, was slain by a lion. According to the prophets Amos and Hosea the splendid idolatries of Bethel were accompanied by terrible moral and religious degradation.

Who extirpated idolatry?

At length all traces of the idolatries were extirpated by Josiah, king of Judah ( 2 Kings 23:15-18 ); and the place was still in existence after the Captivity ( Ezra 2:28 ; Nehemiah 7:32 ). It has been identified with the ruins of Beitin, a small village amid extensive ruins some 9 miles south of Shiloh.

Who took Bethel?

Bethel was a royal city of the Canaanites ( Joshua 12:16 ). It appears to have been captured by Joshua (8:7), and it was allotted to Benjamin ( Joshua 18:22 ). In Judges 1:22 it is represented as held by Canaanites , from whom the house of Joseph took it by treachery (compare 1 Chronicles 7:28 ).

What did Elisha say to Elisha?

2 Kings 2:2Elijah said to Elisha, "Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me as far as Bethel." Elisha said, "As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.

What did Abijah take from Jeroboam?

2 Chronicles 13:19Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with its towns, and Jeshanah with its towns, and Ephron with its towns.

What does Judges 20:31 mean?

Judges 20:31The children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to strike and kill of the people, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goes up to Bethel, and the other to Gibeah, in the field, about thirty men of Israel.

What does Joshua 8:17 mean?

Joshua 8:17There was not a man left in Ai or Beth El who didn't go out after Israel. They left the city open, and pursued Israel. Joshua 12:9the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;

What is the name of the city in Genesis 28:19?

Genesis 28:19He called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.

Where did Samuel go from year to year?

1 Samuel 7:16He went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places.

Where did Judges 4:5 live?

Judges 4:5She lived under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

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Overview

Bethel (Hebrew: בֵּית אֵל, romanized: Bēṯ 'Ēl, "House of El" or "House of God", also transliterated Beth El, Beth-El, Beit El; Greek: Βαιθήλ; Latin: Bethel) was an ancient Israelite sanctuary frequently mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
Bethel is first referred to in the bible as being near where Abram pitched his tent. Later, Bethel is mentioned as the location where Jacob dreams of a ladder leadi…

Identification

Edward Robinson identified the Arab village of Beitin in the West Bank with ancient Bethel in Biblical Researches in Palestine, 1838–52. He based this assessment on its fitting the location described in earlier texts, and on the philological similarities between the modern and ancient name, arguing that the replacement of the Hebrew el with the Arabic in was not unusual. Most acade…

In the Hebrew Bible

Bethel is mentioned several times in Genesis. It is first mentioned in Genesis 12 and 13, as a place near where Abram stayed and built an altar on his way to Egypt and on his return. It is said to be close to the Ai and just to the west of it. More famously it is mentioned again in Genesis 28, when Jacob, fleeing from the wrath of his brother Esau, falls asleep on a stone and dreams of a ladder str…

Archaeology

See the excavation report by James L. Kelso (dig director 1954, 1957, 1960), William F. Albright (dig director 1934) and others.
See the excavation report by Kelso, Albright and others.
Bethel/Beitin was again inhabited and fortified by Bacchides the Syrian in the time of the Maccabees. Josephus tells us that Bethel was captured by Vespasian. …

See also

• Baetylus, sacred stones generally
• Bayt Allah or Beytullah, another name for the Muslim Kaaba of Mecca
• Bethel (god), name of a god or an aspect of a god from the Assyrian to Hellenistic periods

Bibliography

• Bleeker, C. J.; Widengren, G. (1988), Historia Religionum: Handbook for the History of Religions, BRILL, ISBN 978-90-04-08928-0
• Encyclopædia Britannica 2007 Ultimate Reference Suite
• Gomes, Jules Francis (2006), The Sanctuary of Bethel and the Configuration of Israelite Identity, Walter de Gruyter & Co, ISBN 978-3-11-018993-3

External links

• Media related to Bethel (biblical village) at Wikimedia Commons

Early Origins of The Bethel Family

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The surname Bethel was first found in Herefordshire, where they held a family seatfrom ancient times. However, some of the family were found at Watton in the East Riding of Yorkshireat early times. "A great part of the soil belongs to Richard Bethell, Esq., whose family were long seated at Walton Abbey, a brick mansion in t…
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Early History of The Bethel Family

  • This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bethel research. Another 183 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1820, 1622, 1606, 1668, 1660, 1615, 1679, 1654, 1679, 1617, 1697, 1617, 1637, 1649 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Bethel History in all our PDF Extended History productsand printed products wherever possible.
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Bethel Spelling Variations

  • There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not spe…
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Early Notables of The Bethel Family

  • Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Sir Walter Bethell (died 1622); Henry Bethall (c 1606-1668), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660; and Hugh Bethell (1615-1679), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1654 and 1679.Slingsby Bethel (1617-1697), was an English politician from Alne, North Yorkshire. He "…
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Bethel Ranking

  • In the United States, the name Bethel is the 3,995thmost popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name.
See more on houseofnames.com

1.Bethel Name Meaning & Bethel Family History at …

Url:https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=bethel

21 hours ago The Bethel family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bethel families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 22 Bethel …

2.Bethel - Wikipedia

Url:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethel

17 hours ago  · Bethel, ancient city of Palestine, located just north of Jerusalem. Originally called Luz and in modern times Baytin, Bethel was important in Old Testament times and was …

3.Meaning, origin and history of the name Bethel

Url:https://www.behindthename.com/name/bethel

18 hours ago Meaning & History. From an Old Testament place name meaning "house of God" in Hebrew. This was a town north of Jerusalem, where Jacob saw his vision of the stairway. It is occasionally …

4.Bethel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Url:https://www.houseofnames.com/bethel-family-crest

22 hours ago That Bethel was named so by Jacob after he sees his famous vision in which a ladder reaches into the heavens. Before that event this town was known as Luz (Genesis 28:19). Long before …

5.Bethel | The amazing name Bethel: meaning and etymology

Url:https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Bethel.html

15 hours ago The name Bethel was at first apparently given to the sanctuary in the neighbourhood of Luz, and was not given to the city itself till after its conquest by the tribe of Ephraim. When Abram …

6.Bethel Definition and Meaning - Bible Dictionary

Url:https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/bethel/

16 hours ago Bethel. Bethel as a girl’s name (also used as boy’s name Bethel), is pronounced BETH-el. It is of Hebrew origin, and the meaning of Bethel is “house of God”. Biblical place name: the spot …

7.Where Did Bethel's Ancestors Come From? | Bethel, CT …

Url:https://patch.com/connecticut/bethel/where-did-bethels-ancestors-come-0

6 hours ago  · Where Did Bethel's Ancestors Come From? - Bethel, CT - An analysis by the Connecticut Mirror broke down ancestry by town.

8.Bible Map: Bethel

Url:https://bibleatlas.org/bethel.htm

33 hours ago

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