Beth-gamul Camel-house, a city in the "plain country" of Moab denounced by the prophet (Jer 48:23); probably the modern Um-el-Jemal, near Bozrah, one of the deserted cities of the Hauran.
Beth-gilgal House of Gilgal, a place from which the inhabitants gathered for the purpose of celebrating the rebuilding of the walls on the return exile (Neh 12:29). (See GILGAL.)
Beth-haccerem House of a vineyard, a place in the tribe of Judah (Neh 3:14) where the Benjamites were to set up a beacon when they heard the trumpet against the invading army of the Babylonians (Jer 6:1). It is probable that this place is the modern 'Ain Karim , or "well of the vineyards," near which there is a ridge on which are cairns which may have served as beacons of old, one of which is 40 feet high and 130 in diameter.
Beth-horon House of the hollow, or of the cavern, the name of two towns or villages (Ch2 8:5; Ch1 7:24) in the territory of Ephraim, on the way from Jerusalem to Joppa. They are distinguished as Bethhoron "the upper" and Beth-horon "the nether." They are about 2 miles apart, the former being about 10 miles north-west of Jerusalem. Between the two places was the ascent and descent of Beth-horon, leading from Gibeon down to the western plain (Jos 10:10, Jos 10:11; Jos 18:13, Jos 18:14), down which the five kings of the Amorites were driven by Joshua in that great battle, the most important in which the Hebrews had been as yet engaged, being their first conflict with their enemies in the open field. Jehovah interposed in behalf of Israel by a terrific hailstorm, which caused more deaths among the Canaanites than did the swords of the Israelites. Beth-horon is mentioned as having been taken by Shishak, 945 B.C., in the list of his conquests, and the pass was the scene of a victory of Judas Maccabeus. (Compare Exo 9:19, Exo 9:25; Job 38:22, Job 38:23; Psa 18:12; Isa 30:30.) The modern name of these places is Beit-ur, distinguished by el-Foka, "the upper," and el-Tahta, "the nether." The lower was at the foot of the pass, and the upper, 500 feet higher, at the top, west of Gibeon. (See GIBEON.)
Beth-jeshimoth House of wastes, or deserts, a town near Abel-shittim, east of Jordan, in the desert of Moab, where the Israelites encamped not long before crossing the Jordan (Num 33:49; A.V., "Bethjesimoth"). It was within the territory of Sihon, king of the Amorites (Jos 12:3).
Bethlehem House of bread. (1.) A city in the "hill country" of Judah. It was originally called Ephrath (Gen 35:16, Gen 35:19; Gen 48:7; Rut 4:11). It was also called Beth-lehem Ephratah (Mic 5:2), Beth-lehem-judah (Sa1 17:12), and "the city of David" (Luk 2:4). It is first noticed in Scripture as the place where Rachel died and was buried "by the wayside," directly to the north of the city (Gen 48:7). The valley to the east was the scene of the story of Ruth the Moabitess. There are the fields in which she gleaned, and the path by which she and Naomi returned to the town. Here was David's birth-place, and here also, in after years, he was anointed as king by Samuel (Sa1 16:4); and it was from the well of Bethlehem that three of his heroes brought water for him at the risk of their lives when he was in the cave of Adullam (Sa2 23:13). But it was distinguished above every other city as the birth-place of "Him whose goings forth have been of old" (Mat 2:6; compare Mic 5:2). Afterwards Herod, "when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men," sent and slew "all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under" (Mat 2:16, Mat 2:18; Jer 31:15). Bethlehem bears the modern name of Beit-Lahm, i.e., "house of flesh." It is about 5 miles south of Jerusalem, standing at an elevation of about 2,550 feet above the sea, thus 100 feet higher than Jerusalem. There is a church still existing, built by Constantine the Great (A.D. 330), called the "Church of the Nativity," over a grotto or cave called the "holy crypt," and said to be the "stable" in which Jesus was born. This is perhaps the oldest existing Christian church in the world. Close to it is another grotto, where Jerome the Latin father is said to have spent thirty years of his life in translating the Scriptures into Latin. (See VERSIONS.) (2.) A city of Zebulun, mentioned only in Jos 19:15. Now Beit-Lahm, a ruined village about 6 miles west-north-west of Nazareth.
Beth-le-Aphrah (R.V. Mic 1:10), house of dust. The Authorized Version reads "in the house of Aphrah." This is probably the name of a town in the Shephelah, or "low country," between Joppa and Gaza.
Beth-peor House of Peor; i.e., "temple of Baal-peor", a place in Moab, on the east of Jordan, opposite Jericho. It was in the tribe of Reuben (Jos 13:20; Deu 3:29; Deu 4:46). In the "ravine" or valley over against Beth-peor Moses was probably buried (Deu 34:6).
Beth-phage House of the unripe fig, a village on the Mount of Olives, on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho (Mat 21:1; Mar 11:1; Luk 19:29), and very close to Bethany. It was the limit of a Sabbath-day's journey from Jerusalem, i.e., 2,000 cubits. It has been identified with the modern Kefr-et-Tur.
Bethsaida House of fish. (1.) A town in Galilee, on the west side of the sea of Tiberias, in the "land of Gennesaret." It was the native place of Peter, Andrew, and Philip, and was frequently resorted to by Jesus (Mar 6:45; Joh 1:44; Joh 12:21). It is supposed to have been at the modern 'Ain Tabighah , a bay to the north of Gennesaret. (2.) A city near which Christ fed 5,000 (Luk 9:10; compare Joh 6:17; Mat 14:15), and where the blind man had his sight restored (Mar 8:22), on the east side of the lake, two miles up the Jordan. It stood within the region of Gaulonitis, and was enlarged by Philip the tetrarch, who called it "Julias," after the emperor's daughter. Or, as some have supposed, there may have been but one Bethsaida built on both sides of the lake, near where the Jordan enters it. Now the ruins et-Tel.