Topical Encyclopedia
Geographical Location:Beth-shean, also known as Beth-shan, is an ancient city located in the northern part of Israel, within the Jordan Valley. It is strategically situated at the junction of the Jezreel Valley and the Jordan Valley, approximately 15 miles south of the Sea of Galilee and 4 miles west of the Jordan River. The modern archaeological site is known as Tel Beth-shean.
Historical Significance:Beth-shean holds a prominent place in biblical history and archaeology. It was a significant city in the ancient Near East due to its strategic location on major trade routes. The city is mentioned multiple times in the Old Testament, reflecting its importance throughout various periods.
Biblical References:Beth-shean is first mentioned in the context of the Israelite conquest of Canaan. In the Book of Joshua, it is listed among the cities that the Israelites failed to capture from the Canaanites: "But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Beth-shean or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land" (
Joshua 17:11-12).
The city is perhaps most famously associated with the tragic end of King Saul and his sons. After their defeat by the Philistines on Mount Gilboa, the bodies of Saul and his sons were fastened to the wall of Beth-shean: "The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. They cut off Saul’s head, stripped off his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people. They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan" (
1 Samuel 31:8-10).
The men of Jabesh-gilead later retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from Beth-shean, demonstrating their loyalty and respect for the fallen king: "When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all their valiant men set out, journeyed all night, and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth-shan. They went to Jabesh and burned the bodies there" (
1 Samuel 31:11-12).
Archaeological Findings:Excavations at Tel Beth-shean have revealed a rich tapestry of history, with layers dating back to the Bronze Age. The site includes remains from various periods, including Egyptian, Canaanite, Israelite, and Roman influences. Notably, the city became a significant Hellenistic and Roman center, known as Scythopolis, and was one of the cities of the Decapolis during the Roman period.
Cultural and Religious Context:Beth-shean's location and history reflect the cultural and religious dynamics of the region. As a city that experienced various cultural influences, it was a melting pot of religious practices and traditions. The presence of Canaanite, Egyptian, and later Greco-Roman elements highlights the city's role as a crossroads of civilizations.
Modern Relevance:Today, Beth-shean is an important archaeological site and a popular tourist destination. The extensive ruins, including a well-preserved Roman theater, bathhouses, and colonnaded streets, offer a glimpse into the city's storied past. The site serves as a testament to the rich biblical and historical heritage of the region.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
House of security or rest, a city which belonged to Manasseh (
1 Chronicles 7:29), on the west of Jordan. The bodies of Saul and his sons were fastened to its walls. In Solomon's time it gave its name to a district (
1 Kings 4:12). The name is found in an abridged form, Bethshan, in
1 Samuel 31:10, 12 and
2 Samuel 21:12. It is on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, about 5 miles from the Jordan, and 14 from the south end of the Lake of Gennesaret. After the Captivity it was called Scythopolis, i.e., "the city of the Scythians," who about B.C. 640 came down from the steppes of Southern Russia and settled in different places in Syria. It is now called Beisan.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
BETH-SHEAN; BETH-SHANbeth-she'-an, beth'-shan (beth-shan, or [beth-she'an]; in Apocrypha Baithsan or Bethsa): A city in the territory of Issachar assigned to Manasseh, out of which the Canaanites were not driven (Joshua 17:11Judges 1:27); in the days of Israel's strength they were put to taskwork (Judges 1:28). They doubtless were in league with the Philistines who after Israel's defeat on Gilboa exposed the bodies of Saul and his sons on the wall of the city (1 Samuel 31:7), whence they were rescued by the men of Jabesh, who remembered the earlier kindness of the king (1 Samuel 31:72 Samuel 21:12). In1 Kings 4:12 the name applies to the district in which the city stands. It was called Scythopolis by the Greeks. This may be connected with the invasion of Palestine by the Scythians who, according to George Syncellus, "overran Palestine and took possession of Beisan." This may be the invasion noticed by Herodotus, circa 600 B.C. (i.104-6). Here Tryphon failed in his first attempt to take Jonathan by treachery (1 Maccabees 12:40). It fell to John Hyrcanus, but was taken from the Jews by Pompey. It was rebuilt by Gabinius (Ant., XIV, v, 3), and became an important member of the league of the "ten cities" (BJ, III, ix, 7). The impiousness of the inhabitants is painted in dark colors by Josephus (Vita, 6; BJ, II, xviii, 3); and the Mishna speaks of it as a center of idol worship (`Abhodhah Zarah, i.4). Later it was the seat of a bishop.
It is represented by the modern Beisan, in the throat of the Vale of Jezreel where it falls into the Jordan valley, on the southern side of the stream from `Ain Jalud. The ruins of the ancient city are found on the plain, and on the great mound where probably stood the citadel. Between the town and the stretch of marsh land to the South runs the old road from East to West up the Vale of Jezreel, uniting in Esdraelon with the great caravan road from North to South.
W. Ewing
Strong's Hebrew
1052.Beth Shean -- "place of quiet," a place in Manasseh, West of...Beth Shean. 1051, 1052.
Beth Shean. 1053 . "place of quiet," a place
in Manasseh, West of the Jordan. Transliteration:
Beth Shean...Library
Scythopolis.Beth-Shean, the Beginning of Galilee.
... A Chorographical Century. Chapters 51-60 Chapter 60 Scythopolis.Beth-shean,
the beginning of Galilee. The bonds of Galilee were...
From the Talmud and Hebraica
... Chapter 58 Antipatris. Caphar Salama. Chapter 59 Galilee. Chapter 60 Scythopolis.
Beth-shean, the beginning of Galilee. A Chorographical Century. Chapters 61-70...
Adam and Zaretan, Joshua 3
... It is called Zarthanah, 1 Kings 4:12, and is defined to be nearBeth-shean, which
was the furthest bounds of the land of Manasseh northward....
A Group of Miracles among a Semi-Heathen Population
... southern. Scythopolis, the ancientBeth-Shean, with its district, was the
only one of them on the western bank of the Jordan. This...
Journey to Jerusalem. Ten Lepers. Concerning the Kingdom.
... He then turned eastward along that border down the wadyBethshean which separates
the two provinces, and crossed the Jordan into Per??a, where we soon find him...
The Story of the Baptist, from his Last Testimony to Jesus to his...
... Ancient tradition placed the latter a few miles south of Scythopolis orBethshean,
on the borders of Galilee, or rather, the Decapolis, and Samaria....
A Nation's Struggle for a Home and Freedom.
... Their life centered about certain important cities like Megiddo on the southwestern
side andBethshean on the eastern side of the Plain of Esdraelon....
In Jud??a and through Samaria - a Sketch of Samaritan History and...
... But the oldest tradition, which places it a few miles to the south ofBethshean
(Scythopolis), on the border of Samaria and Galilee, has this in its favour...
Jews and Gentiles in "The Land"
... Scythopolis, the ancientBeth-shean (Joshua 17:11, 16; Judges 1:27; 1 Samuel
31:10, 12, etc.), was the only one of those cities situated west of the Jordan....
Appendix v. Rabbinic Theology and Literature
... III. Sivan. 1. On the 17th Sivan the tower of Zur was taken. 2. On the15th
and 16th men ofBethshean and of the plain were exiled....
Thesaurus
Bethshean (5 Occurrences)... It is now called Beisan. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
BETH-
SHEAN; BETH-SHAN.
... W. Ewing. Multi-Version Concordance
Bethshean (5 Occurrences).
...Beth-shean (5 Occurrences)
Beth-shean.Bethshean,Beth-shean. Beth-she'an . Easton's Bible Dictionary...
Bethshean,Beth-shean. Beth-she'an . Reference Bible.
Abel-meholah (3 Occurrences)
... Meadow of dancing, or the dancing-meadow, the birth-place and residence of the prophet
Elisha, not far fromBeth-shean (1 Kings 4:12), in the tribe of Issachar...
Abelmeholah (3 Occurrences)
... and a town in the Jordan valley, about ten Roman miles South ofBeth-shean.... son of
Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and allBethshean, which is by...
Beth-she'an (5 Occurrences)
Beth-she'an.Beth-shean, Beth-she'an. Bethshemesh . Multi-Version Concordance...
(See RSV).Beth-shean, Beth-she'an. Bethshemesh . Reference Bible.
Shean (5 Occurrences)
... Joshua 17:11 Manasseh had three heights in Issachar, in AsherBethShean and its
towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and...
Shan (8 Occurrences)
... Joshua 17:11 Manasseh had three heights in Issachar, in AsherBethShean and its
towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and...
Taanach (7 Occurrences)
... Joshua 17:11 Manasseh had three heights in Issachar, in AsherBethShean and its
towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and...
Ta'anach (6 Occurrences)
... Joshua 17:11 Manasseh had three heights in Issachar, in AsherBethShean and its
towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and...
Megid'do (12 Occurrences)
... Joshua 17:11 And Manasseh had in Issachar and in AsherBeth-shean and its towns,
and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the...
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