Bethel ('House of El') was a deified sacred site and a hypostasis of El's presence, worshipped as a deity in its own right in Phoenician and Aramaic religion.
The Elephantine papyri (5th century BCE) mention 'Anat-Bethel' as a compound deity name, suggesting a cultic fusion of Anat and Bethel in the Jewish diaspora community in Egypt.
Phoenician oath formulas pair Bethel alongside Astarte and other deities as divine witnesses, indicating Bethel's role as a guarantor of covenants within the broader Canaanite pantheon.
Phoenician inscriptions mention Bethel alongside Dagon in oath formulas and divine lists, attesting to Bethel's place as a recognized deity within the Phoenician-Canaanite religious framework.
The Elephantine papyri list Bethel alongside Yahu (Yahweh) as deities worshipped by the Jewish community in Egypt. The biblical site of Bethel was also a major Yahweh sanctuary before the prophetic condemnations.
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