Beit She'an has a very long history. It is situated on a main crossroad about 25 miles southeast of Tiberias. The excavations of Tel Bet She'an show that is was important as a gathering station for caravans. It was important to Egyptian rulers probably as early as the 15th century B. C.. An Egyptian basalt stone, dating from the late 14th century B. C., contains an inscription which mentions the Habiru people (who are thought to be the ancient Hebrews). It says they disturbed the peace and government authority in the area. The valley of Bet She'an was the portion of the tribe of Issachar, but the tribe of Manasseh moved some of its settlements into the territory. During Saul's reign, Beit She'an belonged to the Philistines, but during Solomons' reign, it was again under Jewish rule. The gate, the wall, and the style of the stone cutting, in the hill, belong to the Solomonic period. By the first century B. C. many Jews lived in Bet She'an. During the Hasmonean period, Bet She'an was an important administrative center, and Alexander Yannai built ramparts around the city. In 63 B. C., Pompey revived the Greek way of life, and the city became the capital of a ten Greek cities called the Decapolis Alliance. When Pompey and the Romans rebuilt Beth Shean in 63 B.C., it was renamed Scythopolis ("city of the Scythians;" Col 3:11). When the Jewish War broke out in 66 A.D., almost 13,000 Jews were murdered in Bet She'an. A Roman theater, was built in about 200 A.D.. During the mishnaic and talmudic periods Bet She'an was again inhabited by Jews. They made fine linen and grew field crops and olives. Bet She'an was then a among the world centers for the making and exporting of textiles. Bet She'an contains a synagogue, dating from about the fourth century, with a beautiful mosaic floor. The synagogue was destroyed by fire in 624 A.D.. During the early part of the 20th century, Jews started to resettle in the area and by the 1990s, Beit Shean became a predominantly Sephardic development town with about 15,000 inhabitants. Tourists travel to Beit Shean to view the archaeological remains in the city, especially the Roman Theater which can hold 7000 spectators and is one of the finest archaeological sites in all of Israel.
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There are two choices for your arrival if you wish to go to Beit Shean. Jerusalem or Haifa. The easy way to get to Jerusalem, is to fly into the Ben Gurion International Airport. The airport is close to Jerusalem, which is about 5 miles away. The Ben Gurion International Airport, (IATA: TLV, ICAO: LLBG), also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag, is the largest and busiest international airport in Israel. It was named the best airport in the Middle East by the ACI organisation.[ The airport is located near the city of Lod, 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Tel Aviv. It is operated by the Israel Airports Authority, a government-owned corporation that manages all public airports and border crossings in the State of Israel. The Ben Gurion International Airport is considered one of the world's most secure airports, with a security force that includes both police officers and IDF soldiers. The easy way to get to Haifa, is to fly into the Haifa International Airport Haifa. Haifa International Airport Haifa, also known as U Michaeli Airport) (IATA: HFA, ICAO: LLHA) is the Israeli airport located in Haifa. It is located to the east of the city, close to Kishon Port and Israel Shipyards and mainly serves civilian flights, with some military usage. Most passenger flights passing through the airport are domestic operations to Eilat and Tel Aviv and international flights to Jordan, Cyprus and Turkey. There are several hotels in or near Tel Aviv or Haifa. There are several Guided Tour Agencies offering standard city, and historical tours of Jerusalem or Haifa, Beit Shean, and the surrounding areas. After arranging your flight we would suggest getting your hotel and then letting them arrange tours of the area for you. If you call the hotels Concierge Services ahead of your arrival, all of this can be pre-arranged for you. I do this all the time. It is safe and it works!!! I have never experienced a problem doing it this way! I have links to Expedia.com on our page so that you can arrange your flight and hotel in the Jerusalem or Haifa, Israel area.
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| Tel Bet She'an In Background | Tel Beit Shean |
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| Tel Beit Shean | Tel Beit Shean |
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| Tel Bet Shean | Tel Bet Shean Colonnade Along Palladius Street |
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| Beit She'an Carved Capital | |
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| Tel Beit Shean Colonnade Along Palladius Street | Tel Bet She'an Theater |
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| Tel Bet She'an Theater | Tel Bet She'an Amphitheater |
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| Tel Bet She'an Theater | Tel Bet She'an |
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