BETH-ARABAH

(Beth-arʹa·bah) [house of the desert plains, or, perhaps, house of the depression].

One of the six cities within Judah’s territory described as “in the wilderness.” (Josh. 15:61) It is used in describing the mutual boundaries of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah. (Josh. 15:6) Though listed as within the tribal assignment of Judah, it is thereafter spoken of as pertaining to Benjamin, perhaps indicating the site as an enclave city of the Benjamites. (Josh. 18:22) Remaining evidence of the name may be seen in ʽAin el-Gharbah, a spring on the N side of the Wadi el-Qelt about three miles (5 kilometers) SE of Jericho. This location would place it in the desert region at the N end of the Dead Sea.

BETH-AVEN

(Beth-aʹven) [house of nothingness or idolatry].

1. A town in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin, close by the ancient city of Ai. (Josh. 7:2; 18:11, 12) It was in the wilderness, located E of Bethel and W of Michmash, and became involved in an outstanding battle when Saul and Jonathan routed the Philistines from this latter city.—1 Sam. 13:5; 14:23.

2. In lamenting the idolatrous conditions to which Israel had turned in his time, the prophet Hosea mentions Beth-aven together with Gibeah and Ramah, other prominent cities of Benjamin. (Hos. 4:15; 5:8; 10:5, 8) However, it appears that the prophet does not refer to the original town of Beth-aven, but, rather, applies the name in a derogatory sense to the city of Bethel, which at one time had been a ‘house of God’ but had now become a ‘house of idolatry’ due to the calf worship instituted there.—1 Ki. 12:28-30.

BETH-AZMAVETH

See AZMAVETH No. 5.

BETH-BAAL-MEON

See BAAL-MEON.

BETH-BARAH

(Beth-barʹah) [house of the ford or passage].

When Gideon’s forces were pursuing the fleeing Midianites, Gideon sent word to the men of Ephraim to capture “the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan” (Judg. 7:24), evidently to prevent the enemy from crossing the Jordan. Since the battle took place in the low plain of Jezreel (Judg. 6:33), this would indicate a site W of the Jordan. The identification is uncertain, but a location near the mouth of the Wadi Farʽah is suggested as a likely and strategic site. A similar tactic was employed by Ehud in the fight against the Moabites and they “got to capture the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites.”—Judg. 3:27, 28.

BETH-BIRI

(Beth-birʹi).

A town in the Negeb region of Judah but assigned to the sons of Simeon. (1 Chron. 4:24, 31) In the parallel list of towns at Joshua 19:6 it appears as Beth-lebaoth, and some suggest that Beth-biri may be a postexilic name for the same place, used by Ezra as the writer of the Chronicles. Some evidence of the name may remain in that of Jebel el-Biri, about twenty-five miles (40 kilometers) SW of Beer-sheba.—See BETH-LEBAOTH.

BETH-CAR

(Beth-car) [house of a lamb, or, sheep house].

A point mentioned in the account of Israel’s defeat of the Philistines at Mizpah. The Israelites pursued the fleeing Philistines “as far as south of Beth-car.” (1 Sam. 7:11) Some relate Beth-car to Beth-haccherem (Jer. 6:1; Neh. 3:14), generally identified with ʽAin Karim, some four miles (6 kilometers) W of Jerusalem. Such route, if followed, would lead the Philistines from Mizpah through the deep Wadi beit Hanina down to the Valley of Sorek, and through it to the Plains of Philistia.—See BETH-HACCHEREM.

BETH-DAGON

(Beth-daʹgon) [house of Dagon].

1. A town in the allotment of territory assigned to the tribe of Judah. (Josh. 15:21, 41) Although it is listed along with other towns of the Shephelah or lowlands region, the suggested location is on the Plains of Philistia at Khirbet Dajun, a short distance SW of modern Beit Dagan and about six miles (10 kilometers) SE of Jaffa. In this regard, it may be noted that other cities of the Philistine plain are listed in subsequent verses. (Josh. 15:45-47) Such location would make it an enclave city within the territory of Dan, as was also apparently the case with Gederah.—Josh. 15:36.

2. A town in the territory of Asher, evidently in the eastern part thereof and near its border with Zebulun. (Josh. 19:24, 27) Identification is uncertain; Jelamet el-Atiqa, at the foot of the Mount Carmel range and about eight miles (13 kilometers) SE of Haifa, is suggested by some.

BETH-DIBLATHAIM

(Beth-dib·la·thaʹim) [house of fig cakes].

A city in Moab (Jer. 48:22) the location of which is unknown. However, it may be the place called Almon-diblathaim mentioned at Numbers 33:46. This has been identified with Deleilat el-Gharbiyeh, some fourteen miles (22.5 kilometers) E of the Dead Sea. A city called Beth-diblathen is mentioned in the inscription of the Moabite Stone as having been built by Mesha king of Moab.—See ALMON-DIBLATHAIM.

BETH-EDEN

(Beth-eʹden) [house of Eden, or, house of delight].

A city or region of Syria referred to at Amos 1:5 in that prophet’s message against Damascus. It is now generally associated with the Bit-adini of the Assyrian inscriptions, a region located between the Euphrates and Balikh Rivers. Such identification can be acceptable, however, only if “Damascus” in the prophecy is understood to represent the Aramaean (Syrian) kingdoms in general, inasmuch as the kingdom of Bit-adini lay some 300 miles (about 480 kilometers) to the N of Damascus. Damascus is, indeed, called “the head of Syria” at Isaiah 7:8.

Amos’ prediction (likely before 803 B.C.E.) that “the people of Syria will have to go as exiles to Kir” is shown to have been fulfilled at least by the time of the Assyrian monarch Tiglath-pileser III, during the reign of King Ahaz (761-745 B.C.E.).—2 Ki. 16:9.

The “sons of Eden” mentioned at 2 Kings 19:12 and Isaiah 37:12 may refer to the people of Beth-eden, perhaps the “Eden” of Ezekiel 27:23.—See EDEN No. 2.

BETHEL

(Bethʹel) [house of God].

1. A prominent city of Palestine, more frequently mentioned in the Bible than any other except Jerusalem. It is identified with the ruins by the modern village of Beitin, about twelve miles (19 kilometers) N of Jerusalem. It thus lay on a rocky ridge in the extreme southern part of the mountainous region of Ephraim at about 3,000 feet (914 meters) above sea level. The surrounding area today is quite barren, consisting of a stony plateau with sparse vegetation. Yet the existence of four springs there shows that the ancient city had an excellent water supply.

Bethel’s position was strategic and contributed greatly to its importance. Situated on the ‘backbone’ of the central mountain range, it was on the important N-S route that followed the watershed line, running all the way from Shechem southward through Bethel, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron and down to Beersheba. (Compare Judges 21:19.) Another route connected Bethel with Joppa to the W on the Mediterranean and with Jericho to the E near the Jordan. Bethel was thus a crossroads town, as were Samaria, Jerusalem, Hebron and Beer-sheba. Additionally, the evidence indicates that the area between Jerusalem and Bethel was a region of dense population, having a greater concentration of towns than any other part of Palestine.

Archaeological excavations at Beitin reveal it to be a site of great antiquity, the suggestion being given that the original settlement dated back to about the twenty-first century B.C.E. Evidence was also found of a severe destruction and conflagration leaving debris