A 1977 book by Javier Teixidor cited some early references that support viewing Bethel as a god of Aramaean or Syrian origin.
[5] The term Bethel or Beth-El appears in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament, but opinions differ as to whether these references are to a god or to a place.
"[7] On the other hand, Biblical scholar Rodney Hutton says that the Bethel referred to in Jeremiah 48:13 is a location or city, and a metaphor for religious apostasy because it was the place where Jeroboam installed the golden calf.
[citation needed] The divine name is found in composite forms Ashim-Bethel and Herem-Bethel in the archives of Elephantine, while Anat-Bethel appears as an epithet of Anat, the consort of Bethel.
[12] Zechariah 7:2 gives the personal name Bethelsharezer (Hebrew: בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל שַׂר־אֶ֕צֶר "Bethel, šarra-uṣur", an Akkadian term meaning "Protect the king!").