Places in the Bible Today:

Bethany 2

Data

Translated NamesBethabara, Bethany
Typesford, region, settlement, or wadi
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

7 Possible Identifications

  1. Al Maghtas (modern): 35% confidence

    1. baptismal area at Al MaghtasAl Maghtas

  2. another name for Batanea (ancient): 20% confidence

    1. panorama of a plain in BataneaBatanea

  3. another name for Bethany 1 (ancient): less than 10% confidence

    1. ruins at Al EizariyaAl Eizariya

  4. another name for Beth-barah (ancient): less than 10% confidence

    1. panorama of Wadi al FaraWadi al Fara

  5. another name for Beth-nimrah (ancient): less than 10% confidence. It may be:

    1. satellite view of the region around Tall BleibelTall Bleibel

    2. satellite view of the region around Tall NimrinTall Nimrin

  6. another name for Betonim (ancient): less than 10% confidence

    1. satellite view of the region around Khirbet BatnehKhirbet Batneh

  7. Makhadhet Abarah (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. satellite view of the region around Makhadhet AbarahMakhadhet Abarah

Verses (1)

John 1:28

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
Biblemapper.com261
Logos FactbookBethany (Beyond the Jordan)
OpenBible.info (2007)Bethany 2
OpenBible.infoa6e060d (Bethany 2)
TIPNRBethany@Jdg.7.24
UBS Names Databasent ID_219
WikidataQ2617848

Sources

  1. Aharoni, Land of the Bible (1979): page 431
  2. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992): Bethany Beyond the Jordan
  3. Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2013): Bethabara
  4. ESV Bible Atlas (2010)
  5. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979): Bethany
  6. Lexham Bible Dictionary (2016): Bethany beyond the Jordan
  7. Monson, Regions on the Run (2009): map 7
  8. New Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary (2009)
  9. New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (1988)
  10. Revised Expositor’s Bible Commentary (2012): John 1:28
  11. Rogerson, New Atlas of the Bible (1985): page 198
  12. Schlegel, Satellite Bible Atlas (2016): page 118
  13. Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (1956): Bethany Beyond Jordan
  14. Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (1975): Bethany
  15. Zondervan Atlas of the Bible (2010)
  16. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010)

Confidence Trends over Time

This chart indicates how confidence in the identifications is changing over time. Each dot (connected by a dotted line) reflects the confidence of an identification over the preceding ten years (e.g., the 2009 dot reflects scholarship from 2000 to 2009), and the corresponding solid line reflects a best-fit line for the identification. Confidences that cluster near or below 0% indicate low confidence. Because of the small dataset, it's best to use this chart for general trends; if one identification is trending much higher than the others, for example, then you can probably have higher confidence in the identification. This chart only reflects the sources I consulted (listed above), not an exhaustive review of the literature.

Places with Similar Names

Thumbnail Image Credits

Producer, Dr. Avishai Teicher, Naheel Abu Ghaith نهيل أبو غيث, תמר הירדני, Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2019

About

This page attempts to identify all the possible locations where this biblical place could be. The confidence levels add up to less than 100%, indicating that the modern location is uncertain. It's best to think about the confidences in relative rather than absolute terms. Often they reflect different schools of thought, each confident in their identifications.

The isobands you see on the map (gray areas with dark borders) attempt to give you confidence where a region is. Because many ancient regions aren't precisely defined, I consulted atlases to determine where the biblical region is located and used that data to build the isobands. The smaller isobands reflect more confidence that the given isoband is in the region, while the larger isobands reflect less confidence. Isobands are a kind of contour line that here indicate confidence levels.