Bethul

Bethul is a city in the territory allotted to the tribe of Simeon in the south. It appears under two related names — Chesil in the Judahite town list and Bethuel in the Chronicles register of Simeon's cities.

A Simeonite City

In Joshua's allotment to Simeon, Bethul is named in sequence with Eltolad and Hormah: "and Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah," (Josh 19:4).

Called Chesil

The parallel southern-Judah town list places a town named Chesil in the same slot Bethul occupies in the Simeonite list: "and Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah," (Josh 15:30). The matching neighboring towns — Eltolad and Hormah — fix Chesil and Bethul as the same site under different names.

And Bethuel

The Chronicler's register of Simeon's cities names the same place once more, this time as Bethuel: "and at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag," (1Ch 4:30). The form Bethuel here is the third recorded variant of the same Simeonite town.