Editing Bethel (section)

===Book of Genesis===
[[File:El sueño de Jacob, por José de Ribera.jpg|thumb|Depiction of Jacob's dream at Bethel, by [[Jusepe de Ribera]].]]Bethel is mentioned several times in the [[Book of Genesis]]. It is first mentioned in [[Lech-Lecha]] ({{bibleverse|Genesis|12 and 13}})<ref>{{cite web |title=Genesis 12 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.12?lang=bi&aliyot=0 |website=www.sefaria.org}}</ref> as a place near the place where [[Abraham|Abram]] stayed and built an altar on his way to Egypt and on his return. It is said to be close to [[Ai (Canaan)|Ai]] and just to the west of it. More famously, it is mentioned again in {{bibleverse|Genesis|28}},<ref>{{cite web |title=Genesis 28:19 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.28.19?lang=bi&aliyot=0 |website=www.sefaria.org}}</ref> when Jacob, fleeing from the wrath of his brother [[Esau]], falls asleep on a stone and [[Jacob's Ladder|dreams of a ladder]] stretching between Heaven and Earth and thronged with [[angel]]s; God stands at the top of the ladder, and promises Jacob the land of [[Canaan]]; when Jacob awakes he anoints the stone ([[baetyl]]) with oil and names the place Bethel.<ref>"Bethel" in M. G. Easton, ''Illustrated Bible Dictionary'', T. Nelson and Sons, London, 1894</ref>

Another account, from {{bibleverse|Genesis|35}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Genesis 35 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.35?lang=bi&aliyot=0 |website=www.sefaria.org}}</ref> repeats the covenant with God and the naming of the place as El-Bethel, and makes this the site of Jacob's own change of name to Israel. Both versions state that the original name of the place was [[Luz (biblical place)|Luz]], a Canaanite name.