Bethany

Etymology

From 'beth' (house) and possibly 'te'enah' (fig) or 'aniyyah' (affliction/poverty). The village was known for its fig orchards. Some scholars read it as 'house of the poor one' — fitting for a place that sheltered Jesus when Jerusalem would not.

Who they were

Bethany was a small village on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, less than two miles from Jerusalem, and it was the closest thing Jesus had to a home during his final years of ministry. It was the village of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus — the family who opened their house to him repeatedly. It was where Lazarus was raised from the dead after four days in the tomb. It was where Mary anointed Jesus' feet with expensive perfume, and the fragrance filled the whole house. It was where Jesus stayed during the final week before the crucifixion, walking into Jerusalem each morning and returning to Bethany each night. And Luke says the ascension happened near Bethany — Jesus' last earthly location was the village where he had been most welcomed. The name carries all of this: hospitality, friendship, resurrection, anointing, departure, and the promise of return. As a given name it has been popular since the 1960s, chosen for its warmth, its New Testament associations, and its sound.

Character qualities

• Place of refuge
• Community of love
• Site of resurrection and anointing

Key verse

John 12:1-3

Where they appear

Themes

Variants & related forms

Beth · Bethanie

Related names