BETH-EZEL

BETH-MEON

tatlve MSS) for a periodic disturbance of the water belonged to the latter (Jos 2122), and followed the

which wasfsupposed to give it healing properties. Here were five porches. It was 'by the sheep-gate.' An impotent man, one of the many who waited tor the troubling of the water, was here healed by Christ (Jn 5'). The only body of water at Jerusalem that presents any analogous phenomenon is the intermittent spring known as the Virgin's Fountain, in the Kidron valley, but it is not near the Sheep-gate. There is little that can be said in favour of any other of the numerous identifica-tions that have been proposed for this pool.

R. A. S. Macalister. BETH-EZEL (Mic !»).— Perhaps 'place near," see AVm: mentioned with Zaanan and Shaphir. It seems to have been a place in the Philistine plain, but the site is unknown. According to some it is=Azel of Zee 145.

BETH-GADEB (1 Ch 2"), mentioned with Bethlehem and Kiriath-jearim. It may be the same as Geder, Jos 121s.

BETH-GAMUL (Jer 48M).— A place in Moab, noticed with Dibon, Kiriathaim, and Beth-meon. It is now the ruin Vmm el-Jemal, towards the east of the plateau, south of Medeba.

BETH-GILGAL (Neh 12", AV 'house of Gilgal'), perhaps identical with Gilgal to the east of Jericho. See GiLQAL

BETH-HACCHEREU ('place of the vineyard'), Neh 3", Jer 6'. — It appears to have had a commanding position for a beacon or ensign. Tradition fixed on Herodium south of Bethlehem, probably because it was a conspicuous site near Tekoa, with which it is noticed. A possible site is 'Ain Karim, west of Jeru-salem, where there are vineyards.

BETH-HARAH was situated 'in the vaUey-plain of the Jordan' (Jos 13"). In Nu 323« Bethharan. Its site has been recovered at Teli Bameh at the mouth of the Wady Hesban, 6 miles east from the familiar bathing-place of pilgrims in the Jordan. It was rebuilt and fortified by Herod Antipas when he became tetrarch, and in honour of the Roman empress was called Livias or Libias. Merrill (East of the Jordan, p. 383) gives reasons for believing that it was in the palace here that Herod celebrated his birthday by the feast re-corded (Mt 14«-i2, Mk 621-28), and that the Baptist's head was brought hither from Machaerus, some 20 miles south.

BETH-HABAN (Nu 32»).— See Beth-haeam.

BETH-HOGLAH ('place of the partridge'), Jos 15« 18". — In the Jericho plain. Now the large spring called 'Ain Hajlati, 'partridge spring,' south-east of Jericho.

BETH-HOBON. — The upper and nether, two towns represented by the villages Beit ' Ur el-foka and Beit ' Ur et-tahta, said to have been buUt by Sheerah (1 Ch 7"). Their position, as commanding the ancient great high-road from the maritime plain into the heart of the mountains of Benjamin, made these places of great importance, and several celebrated battles occurred in their neighbourhood. Here Joshua defeated the Canaanites (Jos 10'°-"). Solomon fortified both these cities (2 Ch 8', 1 K 9"). By this road Shishak, king of Egypt, invaded Judah. Here Judas Maceabaeus defeated the Syrian general Seron (1 Mac 313-24) and five years afterwards Nicanor (7s»-"i); more than 200 years later the Jews at the same place beat back the Roman army under Cestius Gallus. In few places in Palestine can we with greater precision set history in its geographical setting; the whole ancient road, with abundant traces of Roman work, can be followed throughout, and the two Beit ' Urs, less than two miles apart, stand sentinel above the road as the two Beth-horons did in ancient times. The Beth-horons were on the frontier between Benjamin and Ephraira (Jos 16'-' and 18"- »). They

Northern Kingdom. Possibly Sanballat the Horonite (Neh 2i») was from here. E. W. G. Masteeman.

BETH-JESHIMOTH ('the place of the desert').— The S. limit of the encampment on 'the plains of Moab' at the close of the journeyings (Nu SS''). In Jos 12' it is mentioned as in the S. of the Arabah towards the Dead Sea. In 132" it is assigned to Reuben; and in Ezk 25° it is spoken of as belonging to Moab. Eusebius places it 10 miles S. of Jericho. Some ruins and a well at the N.E. end of the Dead Sea bear the name of Suwaimeh, which may be a modification of Jeshimoth; and this situation suits the Biblical narrative.

BETH-LE-APHRAH (AV 'house of Aphrah').— The name of a town apparently in Phil, territory, whose site is quite unknown (Mic 11°). In the call ' at Beth-le-Aphrah roll thyself in the dust,' there is a double play upon words, 'Aphrah containing a punning allusion to 'aphar (dust), and hithpallashi (roll thyself) to Pelishti (PhiUstine).

BETH-LEBAOTH (Jos IQs 'house of lionesses'?).— A town of Simeon. See Beth-bibi.

BETHLEHEM ('house of bread' or, according to some, 'of the god Lakhmu'). — The name of two places in Palestine.

l.BethlehemofJudah.otherwiseEphrathorEphrathah, now represented by the town of Beit Lahm, 5 miles S. of Jerusalem. On the way thither Rachel was buried (Gn 361' 48'). Hence came the two Levites whose adventures are related in Jg 17. 19. It was the home of Elimelech, the father-in-law of Ruth (Ru li), and here Ruth settled with her second husband Boaz, and became the ancestress of the family of David, whose connexion with Bethlehem is emphasized throughout his history (1 S 16i-i« 1712 20» etc.). The Phihstines had here a garrison during David's outlawry (2 S 23", 1 Ch lli«). Here Asahel was buried (2 S 2»2), and hence came Elhanan, one of the mighty men (2 S 2321, cf. 21i»). Rehoboam fortified it (2 Ch 11«), and here the murderers of Gedaliah took refuge (Jer 41"). Whether the Salma referred to in 1 Ch 2"- " as 'father of Bethlehem' (whatever that expression may exactly mean) be the same as the Salmon who was father of Boaz (Ru 42") — a theory the Greek version seems to justify — is doubtful. The town had some sanctity, and is indicated (Ps 132°) as a suitable place for the Taber-nacle. The birth of the Messiah there is prophesied in Mic 62 (quoted Mt 2°, Jn 7"), a prophecy fulfilled by the birth of Christ (Mt 2i- », Lk 2*- 1°). Here Herod sent to seek the new-born Christ, and not finding Him ordered the massacre of the infants of the city (Mt 2'- "). The modern town, containing about 8000 inhabitants, is Christian and comparatively prosperous. Within it stands the basilica of the Nativity, founded by Con-stantine (about 330), and restored by Justinian (about 650) and many later emperors. Within it are shown grottoes in which the various events of the Nativity are localized with the usual unreasoning definiteness.

2. Bethlehem of Zebulun, a place named but once (Jos 19"), in enumerating the towns of that tribe. It is identified with Beit Lahm, 7 miles N.W. of Nazareth. It is probable that this was the home of Ibzan, the judge (Jg 12«-i»), as almost all the judges belonged to the northern tribes. R. A. S. Macalister.

BETH-LOMON (1 Es 5").— For Bethlehem of Judah.

BETH-MAAOAH.— A descriptive epithet of the city of Abel (2 S 20»- "), where ' Abel and B.' should be ' Abel of b: (cf . 1 K 152°, 2 K 152°). See Abel (of) Beth-Maacah.

BETH-BIARCABOTH ('place of chariots' Jos 19^ 1 Ch 4°i). — A city of Simeon in the southern plains, near Ziklag, deserted in David's time; site unknown.

BETH-MEON.— See Baal-Meon.

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