Bēthania (Bethany) is an Aramaic place name, probably meaning "house of the poor," "house of misery," or "house of unripe figs" (beth-te'enah). Two different places bear this name in the Gospels: a village about 2 miles east of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives (home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus), and a site east of the Jordan where John baptized.
Bethany on the Mount of Olives became a sanctuary for Jesus — a place of friendship, rest, and profound miracles. Here He wept at Lazarus's tomb before raising him (John 11). Here Mary anointed His feet with expensive perfume (John 12). Here He was welcomed with great joy at the Triumphal Entry (Mark 11:1). The irony is exquisite: this "house of the poor" became the place where the Lord of Glory rested and revealed His greatest signs. God consistently chooses the humble and obscure as the setting for His most glorious works.