Beit She’an
Nestling at the fertile eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, Beit She’an (spelled also ‘Beth Shean’) is a city with a long and rich history in an area known for its springs. It is also located on the junction on important trade routes, including a bridge over the Jordan river active to this day.
History and Archaeology of Beit-She’an
Inhabited since Neolithic times, the Canaanites ruled Beit She’an, and in the Late Bronze Age, the Egyptian Pharaohs made the city a regional center. The bible alludes to Beit She’an being controlled by the Philistines and that on the walls of Beit She’an, they hanged the bodies of Saul and his sons (I Samuel 31:10). Bei’t Shean is not mentioned by name in the New Testament. Still, it was a member of the ‘Decapolis,’ a league of ten pagan cities which Jesus visited (cf. Matthew 4:25). Jesus may have visited Be’it Shean on his way to the baptism as well as on one of his pilgrimages to Jerusalem.
Beit-She’an, the Decapolis, and Jesus
Decapolis was a term used to describe a group of ten pagan cities in the southern Levant that were politically and culturally affiliated and supported by the Romans. Some of these cities still exist, and some have become archaeological sites. Six of these cities are today in Jordan (Gerasa, Gadara, Pella, Amman, Capitolias, and Raphana). Two are in Syria (Damascus and Canatha), and two are in Israel (Beit-Shean and Hippos-Sussita, as well as the Baths of Gadara).
The Gospels record Jesus visiting the cities of the Decapolis (e.g., Mark 7:31), but none are mentioned by name. Jesus probably visited Beit-Shean (then called Nysa Scythopolis), as it is on the way from the Galilee to the Baptism site near Jericho and Jerusalem.
- See Danny “the Digger” presenting Beit She’an on “the Watchman” show –
Beit She’an in Later Periods
Beit-She’an prospered in the Roman-Byzantine period. Named ‘Nysa-Scythopolis.’, it covered an area of 370 acres. After the Muslim conquest, the city declined, and in 749 AD, an earthquake devastated the city. However, the Crusaders reinhabited parts of the city, and so did the Mamluks. Today, the modern town of Beit-She’an is spread around the ruins of the ancient site. Excavations at Beit-She’an began in the 1920s when an American archaeological expedition excavated its citadel—in the 1990s, two Israeli archaeological expeditions excavated much of the lower Roman-Byzantine city. Later, the state developed the site for tourism.
Touring Beit-She’an
Today, ancient Beit-She’an is a national park and a popular tour destination. The biblical period ruins are on top of a prominent tell, overlooking the Greek and Roman ruins in the valley. The most remarkable structures in the Roman city are a 5,000-seat theater and two giant bathhouses next to it. The colonnaded street paved with black basalt slabs, runs from the theatre to the base of the tell. The street was lined with shops, some operating as brothels and flanked by 20-foot wide footpaths. Several Temples stood at the end of the street, and close by was a nymphaeum and a Basilica. South of the city center, the Romans erected a Hippodrome, which was later transformed into an amphitheater for gladiator shows. Centuries later, the Crusaders built a fort over the carceres of the Hippodrome, where they also ran a sugar plant.
Beit She’an Night Spectacle (Leylot She’an)
If staying nearby for the night, booking the audio visual night show at Beit-Shean – ‘Leylot Shean‘ is highly recommended.
Considered the fourth biggest audio-light show in the world, the spectacle begins with a 10 minutes presentation on the back of the ancient theatre, and followed by various effects while strolling among the antiquities of the site.
A tour of Be’it Shean can be combined with a day tour in the north.
