Neolithic and Chalcolithic Ages In 1933, archaeologist G.M. FitzGerald, under the auspices of the
University of Pennsylvania Museum, carried out a "deep cut" on Tell el-Hisn ("castle hill"), the large
tell, or mound, of Beth She'an, in order to determine the earliest occupation of the site. His results suggest that settlement began in the
Late Neolithic or
Early Chalcolithic periods (sixth to fifth millennia BC.) Occupation continued intermittently throughout the Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, with a likely gap during the Late Chalcolithic period (ca. 4000–3300 BC).
Early Bronze Age Settlement seems to have resumed at the beginning of the
Early Bronze Age IB (c. 3300–3050/3000 BC) and continues throughout this period, is then missing during the Early Bronze Age II (c. 3050/3000-2720 BC), and then resumes in the Early Bronze Age IIIA (c. 2720-2500 BC).
Canaanite graves dating from 2000 to 1600 BC were discovered there in 1926. The Middle Bronze I (c. 2020-1820 BCE) has a possible occupation gap. The Middle Bronze Age II (c. 1820-1550 BCE) in attested in Area R as Strata R-5–R-3.
Late Bronze Age The Late Bronze Age IA (Stratum R-2). The Late Bronze Age IB–IIA (Stratum R-1).
Level X (LB I). Canaanite settlement. Contemporary with early 18th Dynasty of Egypt (Ahmose-Hatshepsut).
Egyptian period During the three hundred years of rule by the
New Kingdom of Egypt, the population of Beit She'an appears to have been primarily Egyptian administrative officials and military personnel.
Level IX (LB IIA). After the
conquest of Beit She'an by Pharaoh Thutmose III in the 15th century BCE, as recorded in an inscription at
Karnak, the small town on the summit of the mound became the center of the Egyptian administration of the region. The Egyptian newcomers changed the organization of the town and left a great deal of material culture behind. A large Canaanite temple ( in length) excavated by the
University of Pennsylvania Museum (Penn Museum) may date from about the same period as
Thutmose III's conquest, though the Hebrew University excavations suggest that it dates to a later period. Artifacts of potential cultic significance were found around the temple. Based on
an Egyptian stele found at the place, the temple was dedicated to the god Mekal. The
Hebrew University excavations determined that this temple was built on the site of an earlier one. One of the most important finds near the temple is the Lion and Lioness (or a dog) stela, currently in the
Israel Museum in Jerusalem, which depicts the two playing.
Level VIII. Amarna period
Level VII (LB IIB). The town was completely rebuilt, following a new layout, during the
19th dynasty. The Penn Museum excavations uncovered
two important stelae from the period of
Seti I and a monument of
Ramesses II. One of those steles is particularly interesting because, according to
William F. Albright, it testifies to the presence of a Hebrew population: the
Habiru, which Seti I protected from an Asiatic tribe. Pottery was produced locally, but some was made to mimic Egyptian forms. Other Canaanite goods existed alongside Egyptian imports, or locally made Egyptian-style objects. During the 20th Dynasty, invasions of the "
Sea Peoples" upset Egypt's control over the
Eastern Mediterranean. Though the exact circumstances are unclear, the entire site of Beit She'an was destroyed by fire around 1150 BC. The Egyptians did not attempt to rebuild their administrative center and finally lost control of the region. The
20th Dynasty saw the construction of large administrative buildings in Beit She'an, including "Building 1500", a small palace for the Egyptian governor. Over 50 clay anthropoid coffins were found at the site mainly from the 13th and 12th centuries BC. Most are in the typical Egyptian style but some are of a "grotesque" type linked to the Aegean which caused earlier archaeologists to suggest they were of the "sea peoples" which pharaoh Ramses III claimed to have resettled in the region.
Level VI (LB IIB). Stratum S-4. Egyptian garrison (early 20th Dyn. Ramesses III). Sherds of Mycenaean IIIC pottery.
Iron Age Iron IA • Iron IA (c. 1150-1080 BCE). Stratum S-3. Egyptian garrison (late 20th Dyn. Ramesses IV-VI). Four sherds of Mycenaean IIIC pottery. • Destruction of the Egyptian garrison
Iron IB An
Iron Age IB (c. 1080–950, cf.
21st Dynasty of Egypt) Canaanite city was constructed on the site of the Egyptian center shortly after its destruction. The
Hebrew Bible identifies Beit She'an as where the bodies of
King Saul and three of his sons were hung by the
Philistines after the
Battle of Gilboa. The Philistines prevailed and Saul died in battle together with three of his sons,
Jonathan,
Abinadab and
Malchishua, (
1 Samuel and
1 Chronicles, ). states that "the victorious Philistines hung the body of King Saul on the walls of Beit She'an". Later, the people of
Jabesh-Gilead took the remnants, carried them into their city, and burned them. No archeological evidence was found of a Philistine occupation of Beit She'an, but it is possible the force only passed there. Archaeomagnetic dates suggest that the first Israelite urban settlement was established either during the Solomonic period or in the pre-Omride phase of the early
kingdom of Israel at the latest, and that it was probably destroyed around 935–900 BC.
Iron II Level V (Iron IIA). Stratum S1.
Level IV (Iron IIB). Fortified city in the Northern Kingdom of Samaria/Israel.
Assyrian period In 732 BCE, the
Assyrian conquest of the
northern kingdom of Israel under
Tiglath-Pileser III brought about the destruction of Beit She'an by fire. meaning "City of the Scythians", possibly named after the
Scythian mercenaries who settled there as veterans. Little is known about the Hellenistic city, but during the 3rd century BCE a large temple was constructed on the tell. It is unknown which deity was worshipped there, but the temple continued to be used during Roman times. Graves dating from the Hellenistic period are simple, singular
rock-cut tombs. From 301 to 198 BCE the area was under the control of the
Ptolemies, and Beit She'an is mentioned in 3rd–2nd century BCE written sources describing the
Syrian Wars between the Ptolemaic and
Seleucid dynasties. In 198 BCE the Seleucids finally conquered the region.
Roman period In 63 BCE,
Pompey made
Judea a part of the
Roman Republic. Beit She'an was refounded and rebuilt by
Gabinius. The town center shifted from the summit of the mound, or tell, to its slopes. Scythopolis prospered and became the leading city of the
Decapolis, the only one west of the Jordan River. The city flourished under the "
Pax Romana", as evidenced by high-level
urban planning and extensive construction, including the best preserved Roman theatre of ancient
Samaria, as well as a
hippodrome, a
cardo and other trademarks of the Roman influence.
Mount Gilboa, away, provided dark
basalt blocks, as well as water (via an aqueduct) to the town. Beit She'an is said to have sided with the Romans during the early phase of the
First Jewish–Roman War in 66 CE. File:ROMAN THEATER BEIT SHE'AN.JPG|The Roman theatre Image:Roman street in Bet She'an National Park, Israel.jpg|Roman cardo File:Bet She'an hypocaust.jpg|Roman baths
Middle Ages Byzantine period Copious archaeological remains were found dating to the
Byzantine period (324 – 636) and were excavated by the
Penn Museum from 1921 to 1923. A rotunda church was constructed on top of the
tell, and a wall enclosed the entire city. Textual sources mention several other churches in the town. Many of the buildings of Scythopolis were damaged in the
363 Galilee earthquake. In 409,
Syria Palaestina was divided and Scythopolis became the capital of the northern region of
Palaestina Secunda. and the
See of Scythopolis was the
Metropolitan archdiocese. Dedicatory inscriptions indicate a preference for donations to religious buildings. Many colourful
mosaics were preserved, such as that featuring the
zodiac in the Lady Mary's Monastery, or the one with a
temple menorah and the phrase
shalom in the House of Leontius
synagogue. The Samaritan synagogue's mosaic was unique in its
aniconic abstention from human or animal images, instead using 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. A great variety of objects were found in the tombs, including
terracotta figurines possibly depicting the
Virgin and Child, many terracotta lamps, glass mirrors, bells, tools, knives, finger rings, iron keys, glass beads, bone hairpins, and many other items. The city declined; structures were built in the streets, narrowing them to mere
alleys, and makeshift shops were opened among the colonnades. The city reached a low point in the 8th century, witnessed by the removal of
marble for producing
lime, the blocking off of the main street, and the conversion of a main plaza into a cemetery. However, some recently discovered counter-evidence may be offered to this picture of decline. In common with state-directed building work carried out in other towns and cities in the region during the 720s, Baysan's commercial infrastructure was refurbished: its main colonnaded market street, once thought to date to the sixth century, is now known—based on a mosaic inscription—to be a redesign dating from the time of the Umayyad caliph
Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik (r. 724–43).
Al-Bakri of
al-Andalus noted that the wine produced there was delicious. Jerusalemite historian
al-Muqaddasi visited Baysan in 985, during the
Abbasid Caliphate and wrote that it was "on the river, with plentiful palm trees, and water, though somewhat heavy (brackish.)" He further noted that Baysan was notable for its
indigo,
rice,
dates, and grape syrup known as
dibs. Its principal
mosque was situated in the center of its marketplace.
Crusader period In the
Crusader period, the Lordship of Bessan was occupied by
Tancred, Prince of Galilee in 1099; it was never part of the
Principality of Galilee, despite its location, but became a royal domain of the
Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1101, probably until around 1120. According to the
Lignages d'Outremer, the first Crusader lord of Bessan once it became part of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was Adam, a younger son of Robert III de Béthune,
peer of Flanders and head of the
House of Béthune. His descendants were known by the family name
de Bessan. It occasionally passed back under royal control until new lords were created. The town became part of the
Belvoir fiefdom. A small Crusader fortress surrounded by a moat was built in the area southeast of the Roman theatre, where the diminished town had relocated after the 749 earthquake. During the 1260
Battle of Ain Jalut, retreating Mongol forces passed near the town, but did not enter it.
Modern Ages Mamluk period Under
Mamluk rule, Beit She'an was the principal town in the district of
Damascus and a relay station for the
postal service between
Damascus and
Cairo. It was also the capital of
sugar cane processing for the region. Jisr al-Maqtu'a, "the truncated/cut-off bridge", a bridge consisting of a single arch spanning and hung above a stream, was built during that period.
Ottoman period During this period, the inhabitants of Baysan were mainly Muslim, but there were some
Jews. The 14th century
topographer Ishtori Haparchi settled there and completed his work "
Bulb and Flower" () in 1322, the first Hebrew book on the geography of the
Land of Israel. During the 400 years of
Ottoman rule, Baysan lost its regional importance. During the reign of Sultan
Abdul Hamid II when the
Jezreel Valley railway, which was part of the
Haifa to
Damascus extension of the
Hejaz railway was constructed, a limited revival took place. The local peasant population was largely impoverished by the Ottoman feudal land system, which leased tracts of land to tenants and collected taxes from them for their use. In 1870/1871, an Ottoman census listed the village in the
nahiya (sub-district) of Shafa al-Shamali. In the early 20th century, though still a tiny and obscure village, Beisan was known for its plentiful water supply, fertile soil, and producing olives, grapes, figs, almonds, apricots, and apples. In 1934,
Lawrence of Arabia noted that "Bisan is now a purely Arab village," where "very fine views of the river can be had from the housetops." He further noted that "many nomad and
Bedouin encampments, distinguished by their black tents, were scattered about the riverine plain, their flocks and herds grazing round them." In 1938, after learning of the murder of his close friend and Jewish leader Haim Sturmann,
Orde Wingate led his men on an offensive in the Arab section of Baysan, the rebels’ suspected base. According to population surveys conducted in
British Mandate Palestine, Beisan consisted of 5,080 Muslim Arabs out of a population of 5,540 (92% of the population), with the remainder being listed as Christians. In 1945, the surrounding
District of Baysan consisted of 16,660 Muslims (67%), 7,590 Jews (30%), and 680 Christians (3%); and Arabs owned 44% of land, Jews owned 34%, and 22% constituted public lands. The
1947 UN Partition Plan allocated Beisan and most of its district to the proposed
Jewish state. File:PikiWiki Israel 47183 General view Beit Shean.jpg|Beisan in 1936 File:AN AERIAL PHOTO OF THE SETTLEMENT BEIT SHE'AN. צילום אויר של היישוב בית שאן.D332-054.jpg|Beit She’an 1939 File:PikiWiki Israel 7273 עין הנציquot;ב עולה להתיישבות.jpg|Pioneers of
Kibbutz Ein Hanatziv settle in Bet She'an, 1946
1948 Palestine war Jewish forces and local Bedouins first clashed during the
1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine in February and March 1948, part of
Operation Gideon,
Joseph Weitz, a leading
Yishuv figure, wrote in his diary on May 4, 1948, that, "The Beit Shean Valley is the gate for our state in the Galilee...[I]ts clearing is the need of the hour." The property and buildings abandoned after the conflict were then held by the State of Israel. was erected in Beit She'an, and it later became a
development town. From 1969, Beit She'an was a target for
Katyusha rockets and
mortar attacks from Jordan. In the
1974 Beit She'an attack, militants of the
Popular Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, took over an apartment building and murdered a family of four. Geographically, it lies in the middle of the
Emek HaMaayanot Regional Council, formerly the Beit She'an Valley Regional Council. Beit She'an was the hometown and political power base of
David Levy, an Israeli politician. During the
Second Intifada, in the
2002 Beit She'an attack, six Israelis were killed and over 30 were injured by two
Palestinian militants, who opened fire and threw grenades at a polling station in the center of Bet She'an where party members were voting in the
Likud primary. ==Seismicity==