1 ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identification with Luz (former name) Genesis 28:19; Genesis 35:6; Joshua 18:13; Judges 1:23; apparently distinguished from Luz Joshua 16:2 (yet compare Di); name connected with vision of Jacob when journeying to Paddan-Aram (JE) Genesis 28:19; Genesis 35:7 (where אֵל ֵ˜בּיתְאֵל, but ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 Ol strike out אֵל; Di maintains); compare Hosea 12:5; when journeying from P.-A. Hos 35:15 (P); name apparently given first to a stone (Genesis 28:18; 35:14) compare We^{Skizzen iii. 70}; הַר ֵ˜בּיתְאֵל 1 Samuel 13:2; later important place of worship 1 Samuel 10:3 עָלָה אֶלֿ הָאֱלֹהִים בֵּיתְאֵל; abode of prophet 1 Kings 13:11; 2 Kings 2:3; Jeroboam set up one of the golden calves at Bethel 1 Kings 12:29f. compare also 1 Kings 13:1f; 2 Kings 10:29; 2 Kings 23:15; Jeremiah 48:13 see further 2 Kings 17:28; 2 Kings 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 7:10,13; Hosea 10:15; note especially Amos 5:5 ביתאל יִהְיֶה לְאָ֑וֶן, & בֵּית אָוֶן (house of iniquity) as substitute for ביתאל Hosea 4:15; Hosea 5:8; Hosea 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 Samuel 30:27 compare We Dr; = ᵑ0 כסיל Joshua 15:30 (text error; ᵐ5 Βαιθηλ); also בְּתוּל Joshua 19:4, בְּתוּאֵל 1 Chronicles 4:30.