Places in the Bible Today:

Bethel 3

Data

Translated NamesBeth-el, Bethel
Typesettlement
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

2 Possible Identifications

  1. another name for Bethel 1 (ancient): 60% confidence. It may be:
    1. ruins at BeitinBeitin

    2. cityscape of Al BiraAl Bira

    3. panorama of ruins at Burj BeitinBurj Beitin

  2. not a place (name of deity): 35% confidence

Verses (2)

  1. Jer 48:13
  2. Zech 7:2

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
Logos FactbookBethel (Deity)
OpenBible.info (2007)Bethel 1
OpenBible.infoabcc0cf (Bethel 3)
TIPNRBethel@Gen.12.8
UBS Names Databaseot ID_516

Sources

  1. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992): Bethel (deity)
  2. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000): Bethel (deity)
  3. Expositor’s Bible Commentary (1984): Jer 48:11-13 note
  4. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2003): Bethel
  5. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979): Bethel (deity)
  6. IVP Old Testament Bible Background Commentary (2000): Jer 48:13
  7. Lexham Bible Dictionary (2016): Bethel (west-Semitic god)
  8. Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2014): Bethel
  9. New Bible Dictionary (1996): Bethel
  10. New Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary (2009): Bethel, Deity
  11. Revised Expositor’s Bible Commentary (2012): Zech 7:2-3
  12. Tyndale Bible Dictionary (2001): Bethel (God)
  13. Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (1975): Bethel
  14. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010): Bethel (deity)

Confidence Trends over Time

This chart indicates how confidence in the identifications is changing over time. Each dot (connected by a dotted line) reflects the confidence of an identification over the preceding ten years (e.g., the 2009 dot reflects scholarship from 2000 to 2009), and the corresponding solid line reflects a best-fit line for the identification. Confidences that cluster near or below 0% indicate low confidence. Because of the small dataset, it's best to use this chart for general trends; if one identification is trending much higher than the others, for example, then you can probably have higher confidence in the identification. This chart only reflects the sources I consulted (listed above), not an exhaustive review of the literature.

Places with Similar Names

Thumbnail Image Credits

Deror_avi, יעקב, Bukvoed

About

This page attempts to identify all the possible locations where this biblical place could be. The confidence levels add up to less than 100%, indicating that the modern location is uncertain. It's best to think about the confidences in relative rather than absolute terms. Often they reflect different schools of thought, each confident in their identifications.