Bethesda
   house of mercy, a reservoir (Gr. kolumbethra, "a swimming bath")
   with five porches, close to the sheep-gate or market (Neh. 3:1;
   John 5:2). Eusebius the historian (A.D. 330) calls it "the
   sheep-pool." It is also called "Bethsaida" and "Beth-zatha"
   (John 5:2, R.V. marg.). Under these "porches" or colonnades were
   usually a large number of infirm people waiting for the
   "troubling of the water." It is usually identified with the
   modern so-called Fountain of the Virgin, in the valley of the
   Kidron, and not far from the Pool of Siloam (q.v.); and also
   with the Birket Israel, a pool near the mouth of the valley
   which runs into the Kidron south of "St. Stephen's Gate." Others
   again identify it with the twin pools called the "Souterrains,"
   under the convent of the Sisters of Zion, situated in what must
   have been the rock-hewn ditch between Bezetha and the fortress
   of Antonia. But quite recently Schick has discovered a large
   tank, as sketched here, situated about 100 feet north-west of
   St. Anne's Church, which is, as he contends, very probably the
   Pool of Bethesda. No certainty as to its identification,
   however, has as yet been arrived at. (See FOUNTAIN; GIHON.)
   

Bethesda, house of pity or mercy

Bethesda, OH -- U.S. village in Ohio
   Population (2000):    1413
   Housing Units (2000): 679
   Land area (2000):     0.642352 sq. miles (1.663684 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.011667 sq. miles (0.030217 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    0.654019 sq. miles (1.693901 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            06138
   Located within:       Ohio (OH), FIPS 39
   Location:             40.016200 N, 81.072753 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     43719
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Bethesda, OH
    Bethesda

Bethesda, MD -- U.S. Census Designated Place in Maryland
   Population (2000):    55277
   Housing Units (2000): 24368
   Land area (2000):     13.143081 sq. miles (34.040422 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.047561 sq. miles (0.123183 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    13.190642 sq. miles (34.163605 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            07125
   Located within:       Maryland (MD), FIPS 24
   Location:             38.984660 N, 77.113135 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     20814 20816
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Bethesda, MD
    Bethesda