Note 367 — RADICALS.

Beth is a house or temple; as in [367]Beth-El, Beth-Dagon, Beth-Shemesh, Beth-Oron, or Beth-Or-On, &c. &c. It is sometimes subjoined, as in Phar-beth, and Elisa-beth; the latter of which is the house of [368]Elisa, the same as Elusa of Idume, and Eleusa of Egypt. Beth was in different countries expressed Bat, Bad, Abad. Hence we meet at this day with Pharsabad, Astrabad, Amenabad, Moustafabad, Iahenabad in Persia, India, and other parts of the east. Balbec in Syria is supposed to be the same as Balbeth, the temple of Bal, or the Sun. There are, says [369]Dr. Pocock, many cities in Syria, that retain their antient names. Of this Balbeck, or rather Balbeit, is an instance; which signifies the house or temple of Baal. Gulielmus Tyrius, so called from being bishop of Tyre, who wrote of the Holy war, alludes to Baalbec, under the name of [370]Balbeth. He lived in the eleventh century, and died anno 1127. According to Iablonsky, Bec and Beth are of the same meaning. Atarbec in Egypt is the temple of Atar or Athar; called Atarbechis by [371]Herodotus. The same is Athyr-bet, and styled Athribites (Αθρειβιτης) by [372]Strabo. The inner recess of a temple is by Phavorinus and Hesychius called Βαιτης, Βετης, Βετις, similar to בית אש among the Chaldeans. It was the crypta or sacred place, where of old the everlasting fire was preserved. Hesychius observes, Βετης, το αποκρυφον μερος του Ἱερου. Bet-Is signifies the place of fire.