Beth Shean

Beth Shean was Matthew’s favorite place that we visited and it is definitely one of mine too! This place is an archaeological dreamland! So much has been discovered here. Archaeologists have identified twenty distinct periods of settlements here and there are still things being excavated! It’s pretty amazing!

During New Testament times this city was part of the Decapolis, ten cities that made up part of the Roman Empire. This site is the largest Roman/Byzantine city in the country!

The site features a theater, hippodrome, baths, temples, amphitheater, colonnaded streets, and more!

This is part of the theater. The theater here is the best preserved in Israel!

These were the public toilets! They are 1,800 years old and surrounded by pillars and a mosaic floor, so you can do your business in style (no privacy though)! It seated about 45 people. Since the seats are made of marble, rich people would have their slaves come and sit on the seats to warm them up. You would sit in between two seats and running water would flow underneath to wash the sewage away.
We are simply glowing after trekking up this hill!
It doesn’t look so bad, but walk up these steps on a hot day and you’ve got yourself a pretty good workout.
These pillars were part of another bathhouse, one of six found on the site.

This is probably one of the best preserved sites that we visited; most of the site was all underground, preserved by thick layers of earth. It’s pretty exciting to think that in the future there will be even more things discovered here. It makes you think; what could be under my feet right now?

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