בֵּית־אֵל

1. ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identification with Luz (former name) 1 Mos 28,19; 1 Mos 35,6; Jos 18,13; Dom 1,23 apparently distinguished from Luz Jos 16,2 (yet compare Di); name connected with vision of Jacob when journeying to Paddan-Aram (JE) 1 Mos 28,19; 1 Mos 35,7 (where אֵל ֵ˜בּיתְאֵל, but ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 Ol strike out אֵל; Di maintains); compare Hos 12,5 when journeying from P.-A. Hos 35,15 (P); name apparently given first to a stone (1 Mos 28,18; 1 Mos 35,14) compare We^{Skizzen iii. 70}; הַר ֵ˜בּיתְאֵל 1 Sam 13,2 later important place of worship 1 Sam 10,3 עָלָה אֶלֿ הָאֱלֹהִים בֵּיתְאֵל; abode of prophet 1 Kong 13,11; 2 Kong 2,3 Jeroboam set up one of the golden calves at Bethel 1 Kong 12,29f. compare also 1 Kong 13,1f; 2 Kong 10,29; 2 Kong 23,15; Jer 48,13 see further 2 Kong 17,28; 2 Kong 23,15 Th proposes on internal grounds, בֵּית אַל house of nothingness, or אָלָה ׳בּ house of execration; אָלָה ׳בּ also Ren^{Hist. iii. 185}; in prophets Amos 3,14; Amos 4,4; Amos 5,5 (twice in verse); Amos 5,6; Amos 7,10; Amos 7,13; Hos 10,15 note especially Amos 5,5 ביתאל יִהְיֶה לְאָ֑וֶן, & בֵּית אָוֶן (house of iniquity) as substitute for ביתאל Hos 4,15; Hos 5,8; Hos 10,5 (עֶגְלוֺת בית און); — modern Beitîn Rob^{BR i. 448 f.} Guérin^{Judée iii. 14-27} compare Bd^{Pal 215} Survey^{ii. 305.}

2. place in south country of Judah, not far from Beersheba & Ziklag 1 Sam 30,27 compare We Dr; = ᵑ0 כסיל Jos 15,30 (text error; ᵐ5 Βαιθηλ); also בְּתוּל Jos 19,4, בְּתוּאֵל 1 Kron 4,30.