Bethel
Landmark · Bethel → Beitin, West Bank
Jacob slept here and saw a stairway to heaven. He called the place the house of God.
People
- Abraham
- Jacob
- Samuel
- Jeroboam
- Amos
- Josiah
At a glance
- Realm
- Canaan, then Israel (Ephraim/Benjamin border)
- Role
- House of God, later a rival shrine
- Peoples
- Canaanites (Luz), then Israel
- First mention
- Genesis 12 (Abram’s altar)
The story
Bethel, once called Luz, stood on the ridge road north of Jerusalem, where Abram built an altar and called on the name of the LORD. Here Jacob slept with a stone for a pillow and saw a stairway set between earth and heaven, and waking he called the place Bethel, the house of God.
For a time Israel sought God here, and Samuel judged at Bethel on his yearly round. But Jeroboam set one of his golden calves here to keep the north from Jerusalem, Amos cried against its altar until the priest drove him off, and at the last good King Josiah tore the altar down and defiled it.
Through the eras
- The Patriarchs · standing. Still called Luz when Jacob dreamed here.
- Conquest & Judges · standing. The house of Joseph took this city after Joshua’s day.
- Divided Kingdoms · at its height. Jeroboam’s other golden calf made this small town the king’s sanctuary, chief shrine of the north.
- The Exile · standing. The town outlived its altar, which Josiah had broken down.
- The Return · standing. Its men were among those who returned from exile.