Tribe of Benjamin
Bethel was allocated by Joshua to the Tribe of Benjamin (). However, even by the time of the prophetess Deborah, Bethel is described as being in the land of the Tribe of Ephraim (). Some twenty years after the breakup of the United Monarchy, Abijah, the second king of Kingdom of Judah, defeated Jeroboam of Israel and took back the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron, with their surrounding villages (). Ephron is believed to be the Ophrah that was also allocated to the Tribe of Benjamin by Joshua ().