Beth Shean - Sycothopolis

A Model of Beth Shean

By mid morning we traveled to Beth Shean, a historic city, located at the convergence of the Harod, Jezreel, and Jordan River Valleys.  A fertile land, Beth Shean was well watered by springs from nearby  Mt. Gilboa and boasts a long history of many civilizations.

One author has described Beth Shean as the frying pan of Israel.  Located at the bottom of the valley, it was one of the hottest tours I experienced.  In fact, that is what I remember most - the intense heat that seemed to take my breath away.  Shade was scarce, and I hadn't a water bottle, yet somehow I scampered around the National Park and even climbed up the many stairs to the top of the 300 foot Tel.

Seeking shade from the hot sun 'neath the fallen pillar made of gorgeous marble

Beth Shean is first listed in recorded history as one of Thutmose III's conquests around 1500 BC, and archaeologists have excavated the remains of an Egyptian administrative center from the XVIII and XIX dynasties. 

In the picture below, in the top right corner,  are the ruins of an 1200 BC Egyptian structure - known as the governor's house. It served as the headquarters of the Egyptian rule in this region. During this time Beth Shean became the center of the Egyptian imperial administration in northern Canaan.

In the foreground: Some stones from atop the Tel that were from the walls of an Israeli Fortress during the days of King Saul and King David.   This fortress was destroyed in 924BC by fire during the conquest of the Egyptian King Shishak , several years after Solomon's death. As per the Bible (Kings I 14: 25): "And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem".

In Joshua 17:11, 16, Beth Shean is mentioned as a Caananite City within the land assigned to the Tribe of Manassah.  Fearing the iron chariots of the Canaanite inhabitants, the Israelites failed to drive the Canaanites out of Beth Shean.  Unfortunately, this rebellion against God's command would later cause the Israelites much trouble.  Five or six major temple complexes and inscriptions mentioning several different deities have been found in the ruins, suggesting that Beth Shean was an important center for worship. Scripture records that there were at least two temples there during the time of Saul and David: the temple of Ashtaroth and the temple of Dagon (2 Sam 31:10; 1 Chr 10:10). Later, Beth Shean is listed as one of the cities in the kingdom of Solomon (1 Kings 4: 12).  

The ruins of a public house, seen in the foreground atop Tel Beth Shean, are dated to the early 3rd Millennium.  The city remained under Canaanite control, and was settled by Philistines, as documented by the Bible and evidenced by the Archaeological excavations. Their rule ended during the times of King David or Solomon, at about 1000BC.

In the 11th Century BC, the Canaanite city was conquered by the Israelites' worst enemy, the Philistines. After the famous battle between the Israelites and the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, the dead bodies of King Saul and his son Jonathan were hung on the walls of Beth Shean to humiliate the Israelites. (1 Samuel 31:10).  

Israel finally conquered Beth Shean during King Solomon's reign, some four hundred years after Joshua’s original conquest of the area (1 Kgs 4:12).

The map above shows the 10 Decapolis Cities, (in red) founded during the Hellenistic Period and established under the Ptolemaic Dynasty, that became centers of Greek culture in a region that was largely Semitic. Later, when the Roman General, Pompey, conquered Judea, these Decapolis Cities became important to the Roman government. The Roman government wanted Roman culture to flourish in the farthest reaches of the empire, so they further encouraged the growth of these ten cities, allowing them some political autonomy (each city functioning as a polis or city-state) within the protective sphere of Rome.   Pompey and the Romans rebuilt Beth Shean in 63 B.C. and renamed it Scythopolis ("city of the Scythians;" cf. Col 3:11). It was the capital and one of the most important cities of the Decapolis.  It was the only Decapolis City located on the west side of the Jordan River.  

 A mosaic in the city center, a Greek proverb giving evidence of both the beauty and the influence of the Greeks that inhabited this area during the Hellenistic period.

The population of the Tell moved during the Hellenistic period to the newly founded (city) on its south side. This was an urbanization pattern that occurred in the whole ancient world, and why most of the Tells "died".

During the first century A.D., the Romans continued to develop the city, adding a 7,000-seat theater, a colonnaded street and extensive buildings. Though Scythopolis continued to grow and prosper during the Roman and Byzantine periods, it was suddenly destroyed on January 18, 749 A.D. by a powerful earthquake. Evidence of this earthquake includes dozens of massive marble columns that toppled over in the same direction.

One of the tunnels leading to the magnificent theater of Beth Shean. 

We sent Mark and some children down to the stage below in the ancient theater and asked them to speak and then to sing "Jesus Loves Me".  You could hear their voices perfectly as if they were standing close by.  The acoustics were as amazing as the architecture and the history.

The Ancient Theater of Scythopolis with the 300 foot tel, in the background

The historicity of the city was just amazing.  Like many of the sites we visited, this place was also still being excavated.  (See black tarps in photo above.) The archaeologists continue to uncover marvelous treasures buried beneath the layers of civilizations. In fact, they have identified 18 different civilizations  built upon this land making it one of the oldest sites in Israel. Funny, I was never the least bit interested in archaeology while I was a student at Wheaton, and now I am fascinated by the subject.

 I was among the few that climbed the stairs to the top of the 300 foot Tel, the tallest Tel in Israel, to observe upclose the ancient wall remains from the days of Saul and David and afford me the marvelous view of Beth Shean from on high.  (See Below). Notice our friends waiting for us below.  They look so tiny!

The best view of the Roman city is seen from the top of the Biblical Tell. The photo above shows the Palladius (Cardo) street lined with columns on the right, stretching towards the south, and the bathhouse to its right, on the far right side of the picture. The Theater is seen in the distance near the middle of the photo. In the far background is the modern city of Beth Shean, and behind it you can faintly make out the Gilboa Mountains through the haze.

A close-up of the original Basalt stones of the Cardo Street (Palladius Street), leading to the colonnade and market.

Part of a structure remaining from the Roman Bath.  These clay pillars heated the water under the floor and produced steam for part of the Roman Bath.

  

John Luke is demonstrating the use of the early Roman toilet.  It certainly gives the concept of "public restrooms" a new twist.  Can you imagine? Thank you, John Luke for being willing to scamper down the stairs and pose for this picture - and thank you for carrying my backpack while I recovered from a heat stroke.