Beeroth
South of Bethel on the road to Ramah (Judea).
Description[edit | edit source]
"beyond Bethel, there is Beeroth. How subtly crafty were the inhabitants of that place and of the neighbourhood! But it turned out well"[1]
Notable facts[edit | edit source]
A stop on the road to Jerusalem, from the north. Coming from Bethel, Jesus stops in this town during the Pilgrimage of the second Passover."But now we ought to go, so that we can be in Beeroth very early. The number of the people is increasing and the weather looks threatening. There will be a rush for shelters. And I do not want you to be taken ill."[2]
Its name[edit | edit source]
האל ביר (Al Bira)[3]
Beeroth (Beérot) means "the wells". Today El-Bireh (Al Bira) 15 km north of Jerusalem.
Where is it mentioned in the work?[edit | edit source]
GRM 194 GRM 195
GRM 560 GRM 565
Learn more about this place[edit | edit source]
The inhabitants of Beeroth were part of the Gibeonite confederation. Having learned of the destruction by Joshua of Jericho and Ai, they decided to pose as travelers from a distant land in order to make a Covenant with the Hebrews. Once done, the Hebrews, discovering the deception, could not massacre them but, on the other hand, enslaved them.[4]
The topography supports this description, as the reading of the Bible confirms the allusion to Rechab and Baanah. Located three Hours' walk from Jerusalem, its inexhaustible spring was a natural stop for caravans. Tradition places here the spot where Joseph and Mary realized Jesus’ disappearance after the Passover of his coming of age.[5]
Explore[edit | edit source]
31° 54’ 22’’ N / 35° 12’ 35’’ E / +885m
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
Article partially based on the Geographical Dictionary of the Gospel by Jean-François Lavère.