Genesis 12:8
“And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth–el, and pitched his tent, having Beth–el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.”
KJV
Read in Genesis 12Meaning
Abram settles temporarily between Bethel and Ai, builds an altar, and calls on the LORD. Worship accompanies movement rather than settled security.
Read carefully
The geographical notices locate the narrative in an ancient landscape; they should not be treated as precise modern boundary claims detached from the wider biblical story.
Reflection
Abram's tents and altars hold together pilgrimage and worship: he lives within promise before he possesses what has been promised.