Beitin
Beitin | |
|---|---|
| Arabic transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | بيتين |
| • Latin | Baytin (official) Bittin (unofficial) |
Beitin, late 19th century, by Felix Bonfils | |
Location of Beitin within Palestine | |
| Coordinates: 31°55′42″N 35°14′18″E / 31.92833°N 35.23833°E | |
| Palestine grid | 172/148 |
| State | State of Palestine |
| Governorate | Ramallah and al-Bireh |
| Founded | Early 19th century |
| Government | |
| • Type | Village council (from 1996) |
| • Head of Municipality | DIAB YASIN |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,764 dunams (4.8 km2 or 1.9 sq mi) |
| Population (2017) | |
• Total | 2,242 |
| • Density | 470/km2 (1,200/sq mi) |
| 5k | |
| house of faith | corruption of the Hebrew "Bethel", house ("beth" or "beit") of God ("el") |
Beitin (Arabic: بيتين, romanized: Baytīn) is a Palestinian village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate in the central West Bank, located 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) northeast of Ramallah along the Ramallah-Nablus road. The Palestinian village of Dura al-Qar' and Ein Yabrud lie to the north, Rammun to the east, Deir Dibwan to the southeast and al-Bireh to the southwest. The Israeli settlement of Beit El is northwest of Beitin.
Beitin was established in the mid-19th century by settlers from the nearby Burqa. It stands on the site of the ancient town and biblical sanctuary of Bethel, which was left abandoned after the Crusader period. The area remained uninhabited until the late Ottoman period, when modern Beitin was founded.