Bethel and Dan golden calf altars

When Jeroboam led a successful revolt against the son of Solomon, the united kingdom was split into clearly defined northern (“Israel”) and southern (“Judah”) regions. Civil war ensued. In an effort to keep his people from traveling to Jerusalem for any of the biblical festivals, Jeroboam created two new locations for worship. He placed a golden calf at Bethel, just 10 miles due north of the Temple Mount. The second idol was placed at Dan, in the far north of Israel. People in the north faced difficult trips of one to two weeks if they were to worship in Jerusalem. Having a religious center sanctioned by the king at Dan was wildly popular because of its convenience. The altar at Dan has been excavated, but not at Bethel. The steel frame erected on the site at Dan is an effort from archaeologists to help us visualize what was in place more than 2,700 years ago. Not surprisingly, both locations quickly deviated into pagan places of worship.