Bethany - bethania

Definition: Bethania (bay-than-ee'-ah) Noun, Feminine - Bethany, of Aramaic origin (beit 'anya), meaning a "house of misery" or a "house of dates." It appears there were two villages named Bethany during the time before the Roman Jewish war. According to Strongs NT 963: 1) A town or village beyond the Mount of Olives. 2) A town or village on the east bank of the Jordan, where John baptized: But Origen, although confessing that in his day nearly all the manuscripts read "en Bethania" 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 also confirmed by Eusebius and Jerome 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.

Diagram: The Sign of Bethany is a rectangle made from the six rectangles that can form a "house." Bethany is directly below Bethphage. Tangent to both are the signs for "misery" and "fruit" (dates).

Mk 11:01b	And when they are nearing into Jerusalem, and into Bethphage and Bethany ...
Mk 11:11d	he went out into Bethany with the twelve ...
Mk 11:12	And on the next day of them coming out from Bethany, he hungers.
Mk 14:03a	And being in Bethany ... in the house of Simon the Leper ...

Jn 11:18

Now Bethany was near Jerusalem about fifteen stadia away.

Belly < Glossary > Bethphage