Bethphage
Overview
- Testament: New
- Location: On the Mount of Olives, near Bethany, east of Jerusalem
- Key Passages: Matthew 21:1–9; Mark 11:1–10; Luke 19:28–40
- Associated Book: Matthew, Mark, Luke
Summary
Bethphage (“house of unripe figs”) is the village on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives from which Jesus sends two disciples to retrieve the donkey and colt for the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. All three synoptic Gospels locate the sending of the disciples at Bethphage. The village lay on the boundary of Jerusalem according to Jewish legal tradition — close enough to the city that acts performed there were considered performed in Jerusalem itself. From Bethphage, the procession descended the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem, with crowds spreading cloaks and palm branches.
Key Events
| Event | Reference | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Triumphal Entry | Matthew 21:1–9; Mark 11:1–10; Luke 19:28–40 | Disciples sent to retrieve donkey; fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9; “Hosanna in the highest” |
Cross-References
- Bethany — the adjacent village; home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha; Jesus stayed here during Passion Week
- Mount of Olives — the ridge on which Bethphage sits
- Jerusalem — the destination of the Triumphal Entry procession