Bible Lexicons

Βηθανία Βηθανίας, ἡ (עֲנִיָּה בֵּית house of depression or misery (cf. B. D. American edition)), Bethany;

1. a town or village beyond the Mount of Olives, fifteen furlongs from Jerusalem: John 11:1, 18; John 12:1; Matthew 21:17; Matthew 26:6; Luke 19:29 (here WH give the accusative Βηθανία (see their Appendix, p. 160), cf. Tr marginal reading); ; Mark 11:1, 11; Mark 14:3; now a little Arab hamlet, of from 20 to 30 families, calledel-'Aziriyeh orel-'Azir (the Arabic name of Lazarus); cf. Robinson i. 431f; (BB. DD. under the word).

2. a town or village on the east bank of the Jordan, where John baptized: John 1:28 L T Tr WH (see the preceding word). But Origen, although confessing that in his day nearly all the manuscripts read ἐν Βηθανία, declares that when he journeyed through those parts he did not find any place of that name, but that Bethabara was pointed out as the place where John had baptized; the statement is confirmed by Eusebius and Jerome also, who were well acquainted with the region. Hence, it is most probable that Bethany disappeared after the Apostles' time, and was restored under the name of Bethabara; cf. Lücke at the passage, p. 391ff (Cf. Prof. J. A. Paine in Phila. S. S. Times for Apr. 16, 1881, p. 243f.)