Bethany

Bethany (meaning: house of dates or house of affliction) was a village on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem on the road to Jericho. It was the home of Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus, and became one of Jesus's most frequented stopping places during his final weeks of ministry in Judea. The village's proximity to Jerusalem made it a natural base for Jesus and his disciples when he entered the city for the Passover.

Bethany is the site of several of the most theologically significant events in the Gospels: the raising of Lazarus from the dead—Jesus's most dramatic sign before his own resurrection and the immediate catalyst for the Sanhedrin's decision to execute him; the anointing of Jesus with costly nard by Mary of Bethany, which Jesus interpreted as preparation for his burial; and the final blessing and ascension of Jesus, which Luke locates as happening in the vicinity of Bethany. A second Bethany, beyond the Jordan, is mentioned in John 1:28 as John the Baptist's baptizing location. The village is identified with modern al-Eizariya (from Lazarus) on the West Bank.