Bethany may come from beth-ananiah, Hebrew for house of the poor/afflicted. The name Bethany is shared with a different town located on the Mount of Olives, mentioned many times in the New Testament. Most English versions of the New Testament refer to Bethany on the east bank of the Jordan River (including the Douay-Rheims, NIV, NASB, NLT, RSV, IBS, and Darby).