Where is Bethany and why is it such an important place in the Bible? Who lived there and what made it so significant to Jesus?
Bethany was just two miles east of Jerusalem (John 11:18). Excavations yielding Herodian lamps and first century pottery reveal it was a small thriving settlement, surrounded by olive groves, just off the main Pilgrim Route from Jericho to Jerusalem. Archaeology shows some larger than normal domestic buildings which suggest a certain level of affluence, or perhaps houses that were built or extended to accommodate and care for pilgrims.
John and Luke tell us it was the dwelling place of some of Jesus’ closest friends, Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus (John 11:1; 12:1; Luke 10:38) and of others who revered Jesus as a teacher e.g. Simon the Leper (Matthew 26:6; Mark 14:3). Both Lazarus and Simon’s homes were large enough to cater for hospitality to Jesus and his companions. When Jesus visited Jerusalem, he stayed in Bethany (Mark 11:1,11-12) and Luke records Jesus’ Ascension as taking place there.
The village rested on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives, a ridge which separates the city of Jerusalem from the Judean wilderness. It was a place where Jesus sought peace and quiet to pray and reflect. Many first century family tombs have been discovered there. One tomb in particular, became identified as that of Lazarus and from earliest times, pilgrimages were made to it
(Cf. Eusebius, early 4th Century and the account of the Bordeaux Pilgrim in AD 333). St Jerome, while writing near Bethlehem, records a new church being built in Bethany at the end of the 4th century. It was destroyed by an earthquake, but archaeology records a replacement of it from the 5th-6thcentury. Later a 12th century Benedictine monastery was built over these and, later still, part of the monastery became a 14th century Mosque. A modern Orthodox church now lies alongside the Mosque with both covering the original first century property.
In Jesus’ time Bethany was a place of peace nestled among olive groves just over the Eastern ridge two miles beyond the bustle and politics of Jerusalem. The name Bethany has two possible derivations. “Beth” is house in Hebrew and the second half “anya” can relate to figs or date palms emphasising the groves and fertile soil of its gardens. But “ani” can also mean “of the poor” or “afflicted”. We know that the houseowners there were not poor, and the story of the anointing of Jesus by Mary with incredibly expensive perfumed oil underpins this. So, it may be a reference to the hospitality shown to sick Pilgrims who were welcomed to rest in Bethany and regain their health before entering the Holy City. The house of Lazarus and his sisters may have been just such a place. Bethany was also the place where Jesus ascended to heaven in Luke 24:50-53.
When in AD 70 the Roman General Titus led his legions down from Syria to put down a Jewish rebellion, he ripped out the olive groves of Bethany to enable him to pulverise the walls of Jerusalem and destroy the Temple. The little town that had given rest and final comfort to the Prince of Peace was no more.
Fleur Dorrell
