Biblical Bethel, Beit El, Israel Overview: Site of Jacob's Dream, Jeroboam's Altar, Tabernacle
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Biblical Bethel is the site of amazing things that happened in the Bible.
Location
1. Bethel is in the hill country of the Samaria region about 10 miles (17 km.) north of Jerusalem.
2. Bethel stood at several main crossroads in Israel. It was on the main north-south road that passed through the central hill country from Hebron in the south to Shechem in the north, and it was on the main east-west route leading from Jericho to the Mediterranean Sea.
3. It is one of the highest places in Israel, sitting at an elevation of 2,900 ft. (886 m.). For this reason, it was a place of worship, both to God and false gods.
4. Today, Bethel can be found at Khalom Ya'akov Antiquities Site.
5. It’s located on a high mountain north of the modern-day city of Beit El.
6. It is a recognized site by the government and is fenced and secured.
Historical Background
1. Bethel is mentioned sixty times in the Bible, representing over thirty distinct stories and prophecies, all of them in the Old Testament. Only Jerusalem is mentioned more times in the Bible than Bethel.
2. Bethel means “House of God.”
3. The site of Bethel was previously thought to be in the nearby village of Baytin at Khirbet Beit El (Khirbet means ruins in Hebrew).
4. In 1980, Ze'ev Vilnai, an Israeli geographer and author, researched this Khalom Ya'akov Antiquities Site and determined it to be the biblical Bethel instead of the traditional site at Khirbet Beit El.
5. Khalom Ya'akov Antiquities Site has overwhelming evidence suggesting it to be the biblical Bethel.
6. This site is holy to Christians, Jews, and Muslims as it has artifacts, buildings, tombs, and ruins pertaining to each religion.
Places of Interest
1. Large flat rock where Jacob could have prayed
2. Muslim prayer shrine
3. Crusader chapel
4. 1,000-year-old oak tree, and other ancient trees (trees were never cut at holy sites)
5. Walls & towers of protection – These would have been used during times of war between Judah and Israel after the nation divided.
6. Burial Tombs
7. Ruins of a foundation measuring the exact size of the tabernacle
8. Jeroboam’s Golden Calf Altar