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1 | geographic area of bethel, | Bible general | holyghost2 | 242058 | ||
what was the Geographical significance for Bethel in the bible |
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2 | geographic area of bethel, | Bible general | EdB | 242059 | ||
Part1 BETHEL Name meaning “house of God.”1. Bethel was important in the OT for both geographic and religious reasons. Because of its abundant springs, the area was fertile and attractive to settlements as early as 3200 b.c., and first supported a city around the time of Abraham. Today the village of Beitin rests on much of the ruins of Bethel. Located at the intersection of the main north-south road through the hill country and the main road from Jericho to the coastal plain, Bethel saw much domestic and international travel. Bethel became a prominent border town between tribes and the two kingdoms later. Religiously, Bethel served as a sanctuary during the times of the patriarchs, judges, and the divided kingdom, hence was second only to Jerusalem as a religious center. Entering Canaan, Abraham built an altar at Bethel, calling on “the name of the Lord” (Gen. 12:8), and returned here after his time in Egypt (Gen. 13:3). His grandson, Jacob, spent the night here on his way to Syria to find a wife. In a dream the Lord confirmed the Abrahamic covenant, and Jacob responded by renaming this locale, which was previously called Luz, “Bethel” (“house of God”; Gen. 28:10-22). Probably the name “Bethel” is referred to but out of chronological sequence in the earlier Abraham passages. When he returned with his large family, Jacob came to Bethel again to hear the Lord’s confirmation of the covenant and his name was changed to “Israel.” Here again Jacob set up a stone monument (Gen. 35:1-16; Hos. 12:4-5). Extensive fortification of Bethel came after this patriarchal period. At the time of the conquest, Bethel and Ai were taken together (Josh. 7:2; 8:3-17; 12:9,16), but the definitive defeat of Bethel is recounted later in Judg. 1:22-26. It was a Benjamite border town initially (Josh. 16:1-2; 18:13,22). Later it was a part of the Northern Kingdom (1 Chron. 7:28), only briefly annexed to Judah by Abijah (2 Chron. 13:19). The ark of the covenant was kept in Bethel during a period of the judges (Judg. 20:27), so the tribes converged there upon Benjamin to avenge the moral atrocity at Gibeah (Judg. 20:18-28), offering sacrifices and seeking the Lord’s direction (Judg. 21:1-4). Bethel also was a place where both Deborah (Judg. 4:5) and Samuel (1 Sam. 7:16) judged the civil and religious affairs of the Israelites in the area. Bethel was evidently vulnerable at the time of the judges, since archaeology shows it to have been destroyed several times in this period. David considered the city significant enough to send it gifts during his flight as a fugitive from Saul, hoping to establish a friendship of diplomatic value in the future (1 Sam. 30:27). When he eventually named Jerusalem his capital, Bethel grew and prospered. Daniel C. Fredericks, Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ed. Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie England (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), s.v. “BETHEL,” WORDsearch CROSS e-book. |
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