1 Kings 12:29

“And he set the one in Bethel, etc.] In the southern part of the land, on the border of Ephraim and Benjamin; and the rather he chose this place, because its name signifies the house of God, and had been a sacred place, where Jacob more than once enjoyed the divine Presence: and the other put he in Dan: in the northern part of the land, for the convenience of the inhabitants of those parts; and the rather, since it had been a place resorted to in former times, because of the teraphim of Micah there.”

“In the first place, Jeroboam consulted the convenience of his subjects, who would thus in no case have very far to go in order to reach one or the other sanctuary. Further, he avoided the danger of reminding them continually that they had no ark - a danger which would have been imminent, had the two cherubs been placed together in one shrine. He selected Bethel (in the south) for one of his seats of worship, on account of its pre-eminent sanctity. (See the marginal reference; Judges 20:26-28; 1 Samuel 7:16.) The north of Palestine did not furnish a spot possessing an equally sacred character, but still Dan had to some extent the character of a “holy city” (marginal reference). return to 'Top…”

“Beth - el, &c. - Which two places he chose for his peoples conveniency; Beth - el being in the southern, and Dan in the northern parts of his kingdom. 3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:30”

“12:29-30 By placing the calf idols in Bethel (the southern part of Israel) and in Dan (the far northern section) Jeroboam gave his people two choice sites with long religious traditions (see Gen 12:8; 28:11-19; Judg 18:30-31). Archaeological excavations confirm the existence of a high place—an altar for pagan worship—in Dan. Bethel was where Jacob had his dream (Gen 28:10-22), and it was the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant in the days of the judges (Judg 20:18-28) and a sanctuary in Samuel’s time (1 Sam 7:16; 10:3).”

“Bethel: Gen 12:8, Gen 28:19, Gen 35:1; Hos 4:15 Dan: Gen 14:14; Deu 34:1; Jdg 18:29-31, Jdg 20:1; Kg2 10:29; Jer 8:16; Amo 8:14 3 Kings (1 Kings) 12:30”