Bethany

Bethany, Arabic Al-ʿAyzariyyah, small village and biblical site on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem, situated in the West Bank. Under Jordanian control from 1949 to 1967 Bethany became part of the West Bank territory under Israeli occupation following the Six-Day War of 1967 and later came under the control of the Palestinian Authority in the wake of the 1993 Oslo Accords.

Bethany is mentioned frequently in the New Testament. It was the home of Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus. According to the Gospel (John 11), the miracle of Lazarus’s resurrection took place there; the town’s Arabic name, Al-ʿAyzariyyah, is derived from the name Lazarus. Bethany was also said to have been the home of Simon the Leper (Matthew 26; Mark 14). Jesus lodged in the village after his entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:17), and it was also there that he parted from his disciples (Luke 24:50–51).

There are many traditional holy sites in Bethany, including the crypt of Lazarus, who is revered locally; some of the traditional sites are linked to various Gospel accounts. Although churches have been built there since at least the 3rd century ad, most are now in ruins. Bethany is widely visited by Christian pilgrims. Pop. (2005 est.) 16,884.