Josh.7:2: And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spoke unto them saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.

 

 So what we have revealed in this Genesis 12:8 verse is the House of God existing towards the West, and the house of vanity towards the East. (Bible Atlas P 143)
     Since Beth-el would later fall to false worship under king Jeroboam of the Northern Kingdom of the house of Israel, and a golden calf would be setup there, it became also a 'bethaven' of sorts right among God's chosen ones. This symbolizes the 'house of Israel' falling away, and being taken out of the land captive to Assyria, and never returning, nor known as God's People any longer, until Christ would come for His Mission as Saviour.

As can be discovered by Britain's history especially, the various conquests of Britain by supposedly different nations of heritage, such as the Anglo-Saxons from Germany, the Danish and Norse, and then lastly the Normans of France, it should have been made up of many different races. All these various peoples which invaded Britain were of one common stock, either descendents of the Cimmerians, or of the Scythians. And they all have a heritage as being part of the 'house of Israel'.

 

1 Kings 11 – 36 And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David My servant  may have a light alway before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen Me to put My name there.

 

2 Kings 18: 7, 11, 22.

 

 Hosea 2: Read All.18, 23

 

 Romans 9: Read All.

     Are you ready for the anvil? All this is symbolic of what is happening again today with the 'house of Israel', as the Western Christian Nations are where the tribes of the 'house of Israel' were scattered to, and since that scattering, are known to GOD as true Israel today.

 And just how many true Houses of God (Beth-el) (Churches) do we have amongst us today that know the Western Christian Nation's heritage as the 'house of Israel? (I'll let you decide that, based upon your faith in Christ and knowledge in God's Word.)
     When the 'house of Joseph' took 'Beth-el' away from Benjamin's inheritance and it became a territory of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, it also symbolized the Royal Rule of Judah being removed from the land of Israel long ago, and being set up by the Red Branch (the 'scarlet thread' Zarah; a son of Judah and Tamar:

 

 Gen.38: Read All. 30 And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.

 

That Red Branch would begin the king line 'house of David' in Europe. The last Royal King of Judah in the Holy Land was Zedekiah of the 'house of Judah', during Jeremiah the prophet's days. Our Lord Jesus even explained why the Royal Rule of Judah was removed from the land of Israel, and given to another 'nation' which would bear much 'fruit'.
     If you'll recall the 'chief priests and Pharisees' receiving a bit of rebuke by our Lord Jesus in Matthew 21:

 He also gave them a parable of a Householder Who leased His vineyard out to husbandmen, and went off to a far country. Our LORD said His 'vineyard' is the 'house of Israel', and His "pleasant plant" is Judah (house of Judah), which was to be the responsible leaders in our Lord's vineyard.