SITE PICTURES > TRIPS > BET SHE'AN

The settlement of Bet She'an, located southwest of the Sea of Galilee, first began in the fifth millennium BCE on the Tel rising to the south of the Harod River, in the heart of a fertile area enjoying an abundance of water and located on a major crossroads. In the Late Canaanite period (16th-12th centuries BCE), the city became the seat of Egyptian rule. The site was destroyed in 732 BCE with the conquest of the northern part of the country by the Assyrian king, Tiglat-Pilesser III. During the Hellenistic period, the city was known as Nysa-Scythopolis.

At the end of the 2nd century BCE, the city fell to the Hasmoneans. Its gentile residents were exiled, and the city's population became predominantly Jewish. The city was once again dominated by gentiles following the Roman conquest in 63 BCE. As one of the ten cities of the Decapolis, it became the most important city in northern Israel. During the revolt against the Romans in 66 CE, the city's Jewish residents were murdered by their gentile neighbors. Under Roman rule, when the population consisted of pagans, Jews, and Samaritans, the city thrived and expanded, with magnificent public buildings going up, engraved with inscriptions and adorned with statues. In the Byzantine period, Bet She'an became largely Christian, its population reaching 30,000-40,000.

The site of Bet She'an is closely related to the site of Omrit. A first century CE Roman temple at Bet She'an is almost exactly the same size as the temple at Omrit. Because classical architecture tends to follow the same patterns, investigating features at Bet She'an can help us learn more about what we will find at Omrit.