Bethany
Bethany (Greek: Βηθανία, Syriac: ܒܝܬ ܥܢܝܐ Bēṯ ʿAnyā), locally called in Arabic Al-Eizariya or al-Aizariya (Arabic: العيزرية, "[place] of Lazarus"), is a Palestinian town in the Jerusalem Governorate of Palestine, bordering East Jerusalem, in the West Bank. The name al-Eizariya refers to the New Testament figure Lazarus of Bethany, who according to the Gospel of John, was raised from the dead by Jesus in the town. The traditional site of the miracle, the Tomb of Lazarus, in the city is a place of pilgrimage.
Bethany | |
|---|---|
Municipality type B | |
| Arabic transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | العيزرية |
| • Latin | al-'Eizariya (official) al-Izzariya (unofficial) |
Bethany, along with Ma'ale Adumim and Az-Za'ayyem | |
Bethany Location of Bethany within Palestine | |
| Coordinates: 31°46′12″N 35°15′52″E | |
| Palestine grid | 174/130 |
| Country | Palestine |
| Governorate | Jerusalem |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Head of Municipality | Khalil Abu Rish |
| Population (2017) | |
| • Total | 21,175 |
| Name meaning | "The place of Lazarus" |
The town is located on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives, less than 2 miles (3.2 km) from Jerusalem. With a population of 22,928 inhabitants according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, it is the second largest city in the Quds Governorate of the State of Palestine, after only East Jerusalem, which has been annexed by and is completely under the control of Israel, although this annexation is unrecognized internationally. Therefore, Bethany is the largest city in that governorate under Palestinian control.