Dan and Bethel

Significance

Descriptive?
- “From Dan to Beersheba”
  - Meaning the entire length of Israel
  - Judges 20:1; I Samuel 3:20; II Samuel 24:2, 15
- Reference from united kingdom
Relevance to northern kingdom?
- Dan on northern frontier
- Bethel on southern frontier
- Same idea
Opposites of Dan and Bethel
- Topographically opposite
- Geographically opposite
- Spiritually opposite

First excavated in 1927
Continuous digs to 1960
One find posited to be Abram’s altar
Canaanite tombs, houses, olive presses
Canaanite temple
Fortified around 1750 BC – Luz
City gates were found in pieces
Destroyed early 12th century BC
New settlement built after destruction
Skip to later – captured by Vespasian in 69 AD
Crusades
- Crusaders took it in 12th century AD and built churches there
The name means, “House of God”
Today it is the village of Beitin
First seen in scripture in Genesis 12
Lies in the very rocky terrain of Israel’s central ridge
- Jacob’s vision – Genesis 28:10-22
  - He used a stone as a pillow for his sleep.
  - After the vision, he consecrated the stone – poured oil on its top
  - Named it “God’s House” or Bethel
- “Mansion over the hilltop”
Jacob flees to Bethel – Genesis 34-35
Canaanites had a king there
- Defeated by Joshua and sons of Israel
- Ceded to Benjamin
Border town
- Between Ephraim and Benjamin
- Between Israel and Judah after split
During conquest, Benjamites failure
- Didn’t drive out Jebusites
- House of Joseph went up against Bethel
- The Lord was with them – Judges 1:21-22
Later (Judges 20-21)
- Bethel center of ops – Israel versus Benjamin
- Place of council in aftermath
Deborah judged Israel (Judges 4:5)
- From under a palm tree
- Between Ramah and Bethel
Samuel – circuit judge (I Samuel 7:15-17)
- Four-town circuit
- Bethel, Gilgal, Mizpah, Ramah
Saul’s encounter after being anointed by Samuel

Near headwaters of Jordan
Occupied more than 6,000 years ago
- Abandoned about that time
- Rebuilt 1,000 years later
Free-standing mud brick arches
- Oldest ever found
- Called Abraham’s gate
Conquered by Tuthmosis III in 15th century BC
Tel Dan Stele – 9th century BC
- Stele heralded initial conquest
  - Assyrian Tiglath-Pileser III
  - Included “David King of Israel”
  - Other Historical info confirming scripture
- Digs confirm idolatrous practices
Little mention prior to Jeroboam’s rule
- Abram defeated forces of Sodom and Gomorrah there
- Descriptive “north-to-south” statements
- Center of northern migration of tribe of Dan
Danites impatience – spies go north (Judges 18)
- Find Laish
- Take small force
- Seize Levite and the idols of Micha
- Capture Laish, named it Dan