以下是翻譯的文章。這文章翻譯的目的是為了理解雅各在路斯的經歷，也是他夢見天梯的位置。
WERE THERE TWO BETHELS? And…IS JERUSALEM THE TRUE AND ORIGINAL BETHEL? （by Ian Heard）
到了一個地方，因為太陽落了，就在那裡住宿，便拾起那地方的一塊石頭枕在頭下，在那裡躺臥睡了。夢見一個梯子立在地上，梯子的頭頂著天，有神的使者在梯子上上去下來。耶和華站在梯子以上，說：「我是耶和華你祖亞伯拉罕的神，也是以撒的神，我要將你現在所躺臥之地賜給你和你的後裔。你的後裔必像地上的塵沙那樣多，必向東西南北開展。地上萬族必因你和你的後裔得福。我也與你同在，你無論往哪裡去，我必保佑你，領你歸回這地，總不離棄你，直到我成全了向你所應許的。」雅各睡醒了，說：「耶和華真在這裡，我竟不知道！」就懼怕，說：「這地方何等可畏！這不是別的，乃是神的殿，也是天的門。」
（創28:11-17）
關於雅各夢見天梯這個地點，有幾個奇妙的點，就是他用石頭作枕頭的原文是複數，但當他醒來後，雅各將所枕的石頭立做柱子，這石頭卻是單數。經上說，雅各離開別是巴的時候只有帶著杖，所以所澆的『油』從哪裡來呢？這是聖經中第一個出現受膏的內容，非常重要，這油可能不是來自地上的，或雅各隨身攜帶。
“雅各清早起來，把所枕的石頭立做柱子，澆油在上面。”
（創28:18）
雅各睡醒了，說：「耶和華真在這裡，我竟不知道！」就懼怕，說：「這地方何等可畏！這不是別的，乃是神的殿，也是天的門。」
伯利恆的位置所認同地點，在耶路撒冷的北方，只是有考古學家表示，摩利亞山的耶路撒冷就是古代路斯，也是雅各宣稱神的殿，天的門的地點。以下有翻成中文或原文的資料，分享其內容謹供參考，同時也提供原文的出處連結。
耶路撒冷是真正起初雅各命名的伯特利嗎？我（作者）說，這是肯定的。
一位猶太熟人，花了很多時間與耶路撒冷及其周邊地區的考古學家一起研究大衛城古代地區的最新發現。儘管他是一位非常成功的商人，但他也是以色列歷史和希伯來聖經的真正學者。以下我稱他作 KB。
KB 他深思熟慮的觀點（作者也認同）是，耶路撒冷的地點，特別是基訓泉和錫安地區，是雅各夢見天梯的原始地點，他宣稱「這不是別的，正是「神的殿」、「天的門」（創 28:17）。
—— 引用 KB的話如下，並附上地圖
“伯特利的確切位置（根據《創世紀》28:19 和《約書亞記》18:13，就是路斯）仍然是學術界和《聖經》學者爭論的焦點。伯特利就是路斯並不重要，但它已經並將繼續造成以色列最大的災難。競爭是這個千年問題的核心。
這個問題之所以具有現實意義，是因為位於耶路撒冷以北的現代伯特利極大地扭曲了我們對《聖經》的理解，尤其是當它將路斯-伯特利-耶路撒冷的位置替換為便雅憫的南部邊界與猶大的北部邊界相交時。問題起源於便雅憫與以法蓮的北部邊界（見上圖中的伯特利）。
把 “耶路撒冷 “換成 “伯特利”，你就會立刻發現以色列最有競爭力的兩個支派在他們的伯特利地點爭論（爭論他們的伯特利地點和者為真）的鏡像問題。
你可能會問，這有什麼大不了的？在以色列流亡埃及和流浪沙漠的 250 年中，雅各在伯特利立約的地點被隱藏了起來。大約在約書亞將土地分配給以色列各支派的 250 年前，雅各曾回到路斯-伯特利-耶路撒冷，並在那裡立約，被取名以色列（創世記 35：10）。重要的是，路斯-伯特利-耶路撒冷所在的摩利亞山（摩利亞山必須被視為 “摩利亞山群”，包括它向南延伸到汲淪谷的山脊）最終將成為祭壇和聖殿的所在地。
因此，它將極具聲望和經濟效益，但在當時，雅各的伯特利究竟是在便雅憫的北部邊界還是南部邊界，人們並不普遍知曉。這引發了以法蓮和猶大之間的大規模競爭。
約書亞在他生命的最後階段完成了《約書亞記》，它為土地劃界提供了指導，但在約書亞缺席的情況下，人們對它的解釋是開放的，並成為競爭對手（競爭）的食物。各部落一心一意保衛和安置各自的土地，但他們無法攻克在雅各之約（遺址）上建造的堡壘，該堡壘（曾）被耶布斯人佔領在路斯。
又過了 300 年，大衛王才佔領了這座要塞。在這段漫長的時間裡，由於不知道南方的路斯-伯特利-耶路撒冷在哪裡，便雅憫以北的伯特利變得根深蒂固（或被理解為遺址）”。
引用KB的談話結束 ——
這個解釋澄清了很多。顯然，原來的伯特利（Beit-El）「神的家」是雅各得到異象的地方，他像他的祖父亞伯拉罕一樣，稱這個地方為「HaMakom」——「這地方」。
全文章翻譯自：
WERE THERE TWO BETHELS? And…IS JERUSALEM THE TRUE AND ORIGINAL BETHEL? （by Ian Heard）
myMy answer is ‘yes.’
A Jewish acquaintance has spent a lot of time with archeologists in and around Jerusalem, researching the latest finds in the ancient area known as the City of David. Although a very successful businessman, he is also a true scholar of Israel’s history and of the Old Testament. I will refer to him as KB.
KB’s considered view (with which I am in accord) is that the site of Jerusalem and particularly the Gihon Spring and Zion area is the original site at which Jacob declared, ‘this is none other than the house of God (BETHEL) and the gate of heaven’ (Gen. 28:17). I quote KB as follows (with some clarifications of mine in parenthesis. Underlining is also mine).
The map referred to is at right–
Quote:
“The precise location of Bethel (which is Luz according to Genesis 28:19 and Joshua 18:13) remains a major point of contention among academics and Biblical scholars. Luz being synonymous with Bethel may not seem that significant, but it has caused and continues to cause Israel’s greatest disasters. Rivalry is the heart of this dynamic millennial problem.
The problem is relevant because modern Bethel, which is north of Jerusalem significantly distorts our understanding of Torah, especially when it substitutes the location of Luz-Bethel-Jerusalem on Benjamin’s southern border intersecting Judah’s northern boundary. The problem originated on Benjamin’s northern boundary with Ephraim (see Bethel in the map above).
Replace the name “Jerusalem” with “Bethel” and you will immediately notice the mirror image problem for two of Israel’s most competitive tribes at their dueling Bethel locations (dueling over their Bethel locations).
What’s the big deal you may ask? During Israel’s 250 year exile in Egypt and sojourn in the desert, the location of Jacob’s covenant at Bethel was hidden. Around 250 years before the allotment of land to the tribes of Israel under Joshua, Jacob had returned to Luz-Bethel-Jerusalem where he had made a covenant and took the name Israel (Genesis 35:10). Importantly the mountain on which Luz-Bethel-Jerusalem was located, Mount Moriah (Mt Moriah must be seen as the ‘Moriah Complex’, including its ridge southward into the Kidron Valley) would ultimately become the site of the altar and temple.
As such it would be extremely prestigious and economically lucrative, but, at that time it was not generally known whether Jacob’s Bethel was on the northern or southern boundary of Benjamin. This gave rise to massive rivalry between Ephraim and Judah.
The Book of Joshua, was completed by the end of his life, it set the guidance that would demarcate land, but in Joshua’s absence it was open to interpretation and became food for rivals (rivalry). The tribes were preoccupied defending and settling their respective land, but they could not penetrate the fortress that had been built over Jacob’s covenant (site) and (had been) occupied by Jebusites at Luz.
It would be another 300 years before the fortress would be captured by King David. During this long period, without knowing where Luz-Bethel-Jerusalem was in the south, Bethel north of Benjamin became entrenched (or understood to be the site)”
End quote.
This explanation clarifies much. Clearly the original Bethel (Beit-El) ‘House of God’ was where Jacob had his vision and he, as his father Abraham had, called the site, HaMakom—THE PLACE.
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