19 definitions found for BETHEL

bethel n 1: a house of worship (especially one for sailors)

Bethel 1617, "a place where God is worshipped," from Heb. beth El "house of God," from beth, state construct of bayith "house." Popular as a name for religious meeting houses among some Protestant denominations. Beth was also the name of the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, so called for its form, borrowed into Gk. as beta (see alphabet).

Bethel geographical name city of ancient Palestine N of Jerusalem; the present-day West Bank town is called Baytīn

bethel noun Etymology: Hebrew bēth'ēl house of God Date: circa 1617 1. a hallowed spot 2. a. a chapel for Nonconformists b. a place of worship for seamen

Bethel a place 11 m. N. of Jerusalem, scene of Jacob's dream, and famous in the history of the patriarchs.

Bethel Beth"el, n. [Heb. b?th-el house of God.] 1. A place of worship; a hallowed spot. --S. F. Adams. 2. A chapel for dissenters. [Eng.] 3. A house of worship for seamen.

Bethel house of God. (1.) A place in Central Palestine, about 10 miles north of Jerusalem, at the head of the pass of Michmash and Ai. It was originally the royal Canaanite city of Luz (Gen. 28:19). The name Bethel was at first apparently given to the sanctuary in the neighbourhood of Luz, and was not given to the city itself till after its conquest by the tribe of Ephraim. When Abram entered Canaan he formed his second encampment between Bethel and Hai (Gen. 12:8); and on his return from Egypt he came back to it, and again "called upon the name of the Lord" (13:4). Here Jacob, on his way from Beersheba to Haran, had a vision of the angels of God ascending and descending on the ladder whose top reached unto heaven (28:10, 19); and on his return he again visited this place, "where God talked with him" (35:1-15), and there he "built an altar, and called the place El-beth-el" (q.v.). To this second occasion of God's speaking with Jacob at Bethel, Hosea (12:4,5) makes reference. In troublous times the people went to Bethel to ask counsel of God (Judg. 20:18, 31; 21:2). Here the ark of the covenant was kept for a long time under the care of Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron (20:26-28). Here also Samuel held in rotation his court of justice (1 Sam. 7:16). It was included in Israel after the kingdom was divided, and it became one of the seats of the worship of the golden calf (1 Kings 12:28-33; 13:1). Hence the prophet Hosea (Hos. 4:15; 5:8; 10:5, 8) calls it in contempt Beth-aven, i.e., "house of idols." Bethel remained an abode of priests even after the kingdom of Israel was desolated by the king of Assyria (2 Kings 17:28, 29). At length all traces of the idolatries were extirpated by Josiah, king of Judah (2 Kings 23:15-18); and the place was still in existence after the Captivity (Ezra 2:28; Neh. 7:32). It has been identified with the ruins of Beitin, a small village amid extensive ruins some 9 miles south of Shiloh. (2.) Mount Bethel was a hilly district near Bethel (Josh. 16:1; 1 Sam. 13:2). (3.) A town in the south of Judah (Josh. 8:17; 12:16).

Beth-el, the house of God

Bethel, CT (CDP, FIPS 4790) Location: 41.37153 N, 73.41158 W Population (1990): 8835 (3615 housing units) Area: 10.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 06801

Bethel, DE (town, FIPS 5820) Location: 38.57006 N, 75.61979 W Population (1990): 178 (86 housing units) Area: 1.2 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 19931

Bethel, AK (city, FIPS 6520) Location: 60.76821 N, 161.77222 W Population (1990): 4674 (1624 housing units) Area: 114.7 sq km (land), 14.9 sq km (water)

Bethel, ME Zip code(s): 04217

Bethel, MN (city, FIPS 5554) Location: 45.40059 N, 93.26937 W Population (1990): 394 (135 housing units) Area: 2.2 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water) Bethel, MO (town, FIPS 5104) Location: 39.87823 N, 92.02272 W Population (1990): 117 (90 housing units) Area: 0.4 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 63434

Bethel, NC (town, FIPS 5460) Location: 35.80759 N, 77.37608 W Population (1990): 1842 (743 housing units) Area: 2.6 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 27812

Bethel, NY Zip code(s): 12720

Bethel, OH (village, FIPS 6068) Location: 38.96245 N, 84.08469 W Population (1990): 2407 (976 housing units) Area: 2.7 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 45106

Bethel, OK Zip code(s): 74724

Bethel, PA Zip code(s): 19507

Bethel, VT Zip code(s): 05032