BETHEL (Hebr. Běth-'ěl = “house of God”). - The name given by Giacobbe to the place where he had the vision of the ladder and the angels while he was going to Meso-
potamia to escape the wrath of Esaù (Gen. 28, 11-22). Many biblical memories are connected with the history of B. Abramo, on entering the land of Canaan, had pitched his tents between B. AHAI (v.) and had erected there an altar to the Lord; he stayed there and invoked the name of the Lord on his return from Egypt (Gen. 12, 8; 13, 3, where the name B. is used by anticipation). Giacobbe stopped again at B. on his return from Mesopotamia and there prescribed a religious purification for his household (Gen. 35, 1-8). Later the name B. was extended also to the ancient Canaanite city of Lûz or Luza (= “the almond trees”), situated in the immediate vicinity. With the conquest of the promised land, B. was assigned to the tribe of Beniamin (Isa. 18, 22), but in fact passed to that of Ephraim, having been captured (Iudc. 1, 22-26) by the descendants of Giuseppe (Ephraim and Manasse). In the time of the Judges, in difficult circumstances, the Israelites went there to consult the Lord and offer Him sacrifices (Iudc. 20, 18, 26; 21, 2). Under Ieroboam I the golden calf was worshipped there (I Reg. 12, 29-33).
On the site of ancient B., 19 km. from Gerusalemme, to the right of the road to Sichem-Nablusa, stands the village (ca. 600 inhabitants) of Bétin, where the excavations of W. F. Albright (1928 and 1934) revealed the imposing fortifications (20th-19th cent. B.C.) of the ancient Canaanite city, whose prosperity declined around 1300 B.C.