Scythopolis (today's
Beit She'an or Bêsân) had a
Christian community headed by a
bishop even before the
Edict of Milan of 313 legalized profession of Christianity in the
Roman Empire. When the
Roman province of
Palaestina Secunda was set up in the 4th century, with
Scythopolis as its capital, the
bishopric became the
metropolitan see of the province. a group of cities founded by retired veterans of
Alexander the Great, in this case probably a
Scythian unit. Under Emperor
Diocletian, Saint
Procopius of Scythopolis died as a
martyr on 7 July 303. In the fourth century the bishopric was strongly
Arian. When it became a metropolitan see, it had
Pella as one of its
suffragans. Copious archaeological remains were found dating to the
Byzantine period (330 CE – 636 CE) and were excavated by the
University of Pennsylvania Museum from 1921 to 1923. A rotunda
church was constructed on top of the
tell and the entire city was enclosed in a wall. Textual sources mention several other
churches in the town. Beit She'an was primarily Christian, as attested to by the large number of churches, but evidence of
Jewish habitation and a
Samaritan synagogue indicate established communities of these minorities. The pagan temple in the city centre was destroyed, but the
nymphaeum and
Roman baths were restored. Many of the buildings of Scythopolis were damaged in the
363 Galilee earthquake. It became the capital of the new province of
Palaestina Secunda established in 390. Dedicatory inscriptions indicate a preference for donations to religious buildings, and many colourful
mosaics, such as that featuring the zodiac in the Monastery of Lady Mary, or the one picturing a
menorah and shalom in the House of Leontius' Jewish synagogue, were preserved. A Samaritan synagogue's mosaic was unique in abstaining from human or animal images, instead utilising
floral and
geometrical motifs. Elaborate decorations were also found in the settlement's many luxurious
villas, and in the 6th century especially, the city reached its maximum size of 40,000 and spread beyond its period city walls. The city was taken by Muslim armies in AD 634 and the city was devastated by the
Golan earthquake of 749. The city was taken by the
Crusaders. Under their rule, the
Latin see was moved to
Nazareth, but the
Eastern Orthodox Church continued for a long time further to maintain two separate sees. He also supervised the exile of
Eusebius of Vercelli to Scythopolis – Eusebius calls him his "jailer". In 359 he was a member of a delegation sent to Emperor
Constantius II to protest against depositions of Arian clergy by
Basil of Caesarea. He was deposed by the
Council of Seleucia in 359 and died soon after.
Philostorgius mentions that in 361 his body was disinterred and his bones scattered during the pagan reaction under
Julian. Other bishops of Scythopolis include Philip and Athanasius, both Arians; Saturninus, present at the
First Council of Constantinople in 381; Theodosius, friend of Saint
John Chrysostom; Acacius, friend of Saint
Cyril of Alexandria;
Severianus, killed by Monophysites in 452;
John, who wrote in defence of the
Council of Chalcedon; Theodore, who in about 553 was compelled to sign an anti-
Origenist profession of faith, still preserved (
Le Quien, "Oriens christianus." III, 681–94).
List of residential bishops •
Procopius of Scythopolis (???-7 July 303AD) •
Patrophilus, fl 323–359. (Arian) at
First Council of Nicaea • Saturninus, fl381. • Philip (Arian) • Athanasius, (Arian) • Saturninus, fl381 • Theodosius, c400 • Acacius, fl420 • Servianus, fl451 •
Cyril of Scythopolis (ca. 525–559) •
John of Scythopolis (ca. 536–550), • Theodore fl 553. Bishopric moved to
Nazareth by
crusaders in the 11th century.
Other notable Christians of Scythopolis In the 6th century there were four churches at Scythopolis, dedicated to the Apostles
St Thomas and
John the Evangelist, Saint
Procopius and
St Basil, another local
martyr. Many
monks lived in the town and its environs, occupied in making baskets and fans from the
palms in the neighbouring forests (Sozomen, "Hist. ecclés.", VIII, 13); with them the four
Tall Brothers took refuge when expelled from
Egypt by
Patriarch Theophilus for so called Origenist ideas. == Titular Metropolitan see ==