Baetylus

Baetylus (also Bethel, or Betyl, from Semitic 'bet el' meaning 'house of God') is a word denoting a sacred stone, which was supposedly endowed with life. According to ancient sources, these objects of worship were meteorites, which were dedicated to the gods or revered as symbols of the gods themselves. An example is also mentioned at Bethel in Genesis 28:11-19.