Genesis Encyclopedia:

B

Baal-Hanan
     The son of Achbar. He was the seventh king of the kingdom of Edom. (36:38-39)

Babel (The name comes from the Hebrew word "bilbul", which means "confusion" in English.)
     A city in Nimrod's kingdom. It was located in the land of Shinar. (The land of Shinar was located north of the Persian Gulf, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in what would today be Iraq, or northeastern Syria. It was later called Chaldea, and later Babylon.) (10:9-10)
     In Shinar, the people decided to build a great city with a tower that reaches up to heaven, to prove their superiority and to keep them from dispersing all over the earth (right). But God didn't like this audacity. He caused the people to speak various languages, so that they couldn't understand each other. So the city and tower were left unfinished. The city there was called Babel. The people dispersed all over the earth. (11:1-19)
     (The city of Babel later became the main city in the kingdom of Chaldea, so the kingdom was renamed Babel. Gradually, the city and kingdom were renamed Babylon, a Greek form form of "Babel". Archeologists have located the city of Babylon in central Iraq, on the Euphrates river.)

Babylon (also called Babylonia) (The name is a Greek form of "Babel".)
     Another name for the kingdom of Shinar, or Chaldea (a kingdom in the land of Mesopotamia). The kingdom was called Shinar at first. Later it was renamed Chaldea, and later Babylon. (It was located in what would today be Iraq, or northeastern Syria.)
     (The city of Babel later became the main city in the kingdom of Chaldea, so the kingdom was renamed Babel. Gradually, the city and kingdom were renamed Babylon, a Greek form form of "Babel".)

Babylonia (also called Babylon) (The name is a Greek form of "Babel".)
     Another name for the kingdom of Shinar, or Chaldea (a kingdom in the land of Mesopotamia). The kingdom was called Shinar at first. Later it was renamed Chaldea, and later Babylonia. (It was located in what would today be Iraq, or northeastern Syria.)
     (The city of Babel later became the main city in the kingdom of Chaldea, so the kingdom was renamed Babel. Gradually, the city and kingdom were renamed Babylonia, a Greek form form of "Babel".)

Basemath (also called Bashmath or Basmath)
     One of Esau's wives. (26:34; 36:2-4) Esau married her when he was 40 years old. (26:34) She bore him a son, Reuel. (36:4)
     There is a discrepancy as to whom her father is. 26:34 says that she is the daughter of Elon, a Hittite. But later, 36:3 says that she is the daughter of Ishmael.

Bashmath (also called Basemath or Basmath)
     One of Esau's wives. (26:34; 36:2-4) Esau married her when he was 40 years old. (26:34) She bore him a son, Reuel. (36:4)
     There is a discrepancy as to whom her father is. 26:34 says that she is the daughter of Elon, a Hittite. But later, 36:3 says that she is the daughter of Ishmael.

Basmath (also called Basemath or Bashmath)
     One of Esau's wives. (26:34; 36:2-4) Esau married her when he was 40 years old. (26:34) She bore him a son, Reuel. (36:4)
     There is a discrepancy as to whom her father is. 26:34 says that she is the daughter of Elon, a Hittite. But later, 36:3 says that she is the daughter of Ishmael.

Bathshua
     The daughter of a Canaanite named Shua. She was the wife of Judah. Judah met her while he was staying at the house of Hirah in the city of Adullam. (38:1-2) He married Bathshua, and she bore him three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. (38:3-5) After Shelah grew up, Bathshua died. (38:11-12)

Becher
     A son of Benjamin. He was one of Jacob's family that moved to Egypt. (46:5-8,21)

Bedad
     The father of Hadad. (36:35)

Beeri
     A Hittite. He was the father of Judith, one of Esau's three wives. (26:34)

Beer Lahai Roi (also called Lahai-roi)
     A well located in the Negeb region, between the areas of Kadesh and Bered. This is where God spoke to the fleeing Hagar. (16:14) Isaac met Rebekah there. (24:62) And he dwelt there for a while after Sarah's death. (25:11)

Beersheba
     A city. Hagar and Ishmael dwelt near there after being banished by Abraham. (21:14) Abraham and Abimelech made their covenant there. (21:22-32) Later, Isaac made another covenant with Abimelech there, and he also dug a well there, which he named Shebah (also called Shibah). (26:23-33) Later, Jacob offered sacrifices there. (46:1-4)

Bela (also called Belah) - There are three:
     1. The son of Beor. He was the first king of Edom. (36:32)
     2. A son of Benjamin. He was one of Jacob's family that moved to Egypt. (46:5-8,21)
     3. A city in the land of Canaan. It was one of the five cities that banded together and rebelled against Chedolaomer in the battle in the valley of Siddim. Bela was on the losing side. (chapter 14) Later when God warned Lot that Sodom and the neighboring cities would be destroyed, Lot asked that Bela be spared. After Sodom was destroyed, Lot fled to Bela. At this point, the city was renamed Zoar. (19:18-23)

Belah (also called Bela) - There are three:
     1. The son of Beor. He was the first king of Edom. (36:32)
     2. A son of Benjamin. He was one of Jacob's family that moved to Egypt. (46:5-8,21)
     3. A city in the land of Canaan. It was one of the five cities that banded together and rebelled against Chedolaomer in the battle in the valley of Siddim. Belah was on the losing side. (chapter 14) Later when God warned Lot that Sodom and the neighboring cities would be destroyed, Lot asked that Belah be spared. After Sodom was destroyed, Lot fled to Belah. At this point, the city was renamed Zoar. (19:18-23)

Ben-Ammi (The name come from two Hebrew words: "ben", which means "son" in English, and "am", which means "people" in English. The name "Ben-Ammi" is usually translated as "son of my people".)
     The son of the incest between Lot and his youngest daughter.
     After Lot and his two daughters escaped from the destruction of Sodom, the daughters were afraid that the three of them were the last remaining people on earth. They wanted to keep the human race from ending. So they got Lot drunk, and then they both had sex with him. The younger daughter conceived, and bore Lot's son/grandson. His name was Ben-Ammi. Ben-Ammi's descendants became a tribe called Ammon. (19:30-38)

Benjamin
     Benjamin has his own page. To read about Benjamin, click here.

Ben-Oni
     The name that Rachel gave to her son Benjamin after she gave birth to him. Rachel had a difficult delivery. She managed to give birth to a boy, but she died in childbirth. Before she died, she named her son Ben-oni. But her husband Jacob renamed him Benjamin. (35:16-19)

Beor
     The father of Bela (also called Belah), who was the first king of Edom. (36:32)

Bera
     The king of the city of Sodom during the civil war in the land of Canaan. (14:2)

Bered
     A place near Beer Lahoi Roi (also called Lahoi-roi). (16:14)

Beriah
     A son of Benjamin. He was one of Jacob's family that moved to Egypt. His two sons, Heber and Malchiel, went with him. (46:5-8,17)

Bethel (also called Luz)
     A city located in the land of Canaan. The name of the city can get confusing. The city was originally named Luz. Then in 28:19, Jacob renamed the city Bethel. But there are some passages that occur before the renaming where the city is called Bethel even though Jacob has not renamed it yet. In the pre-Jacob era, the city was still named Luz, but the Bible calls it Bethel even though it has not been given that name yet. In any case, "Bethel" and "Luz" refer to the same city.
     Abraham built an altar east of Bethel (Luz), and called on God there. (12:6-9) Then after spending some time in Egypt, Abraham returned to the altar east of Bethel. It was there that Abraham and Lot separated. (13:1-4)
     It was at Bethel (Luz) that Jacob had his dream of a ladder connecting heaven and earth. After Jacob woke from his dream, he renamed the city Bethel. (28:10-19) Later, Jacob returned to Bethel with his family, and it was there that God renamed Jacob as "Israel". (35:1-15)

Bethlehem (also called Ephrath)
     A city in the land of Canaan. When Jacob and his family left Bethel, they journeyed to Bethlehem. En route, Rachel gave birth to Jacob's youngest son, Benjamin. Rachel died in childbirth, and was buried on the way. (35:16-20)

Bethuel
     The son of Nahor (Abraham's brother) by his wife Milcah. (22:20-23) He became the father of Rebekah and Laban. (22:20-23; 24:15,24,47; 25:20; and 28:2,5) Bethuel and his family lived in the land of Padanaram. (28:2,5)
     Bethuel was an Aramean. (25:20; 28:5)

Bilhah
     A slave girl to Laban, and later to his daughter Rachel. Laban gave her to Rachel when Rachel married Jacob. (29:29) Jacob had another wife, Rachel's older sister Leah. Rachel couldn't have children, while Leah could. So Rachel gave Bilhah to Jacob so that Rachel could have children through her slave. (30:3) Bilhah bore Jacob two sons: Dan and Naphtali. (30:5-8) Later, Jacob's son Reuben (by Leah) had sex with Bilhah. (35:22)

Bilhan
     A child of Ezer. (36:27)

Birsha
     The king of the city of Gomorrah during the civil war in the land of Canaan. (14:2)

Bozrah
     A city in the kingdom of Edom. Zerah came from there. (36:33)

Buz
     A son of Nahor (Abraham's brother) by his wife Milcah. (22:20-23)

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