Galilee South - Beit She'an - Gilboa

Galilee South

Beit She'an National Park

Beit She'an

About 20 km south of the Sea of Galilee are the remarkable ruins of Bet Shean (Beit She'an). This location was strategic as a junction between important roads connecting the Mediterranean coast, Damascus, Arabia and Jerusalem, and was desirable for it’s fertile soil and moderate climate.

The city has been inhabited since before Abraham’s time and has been under the control of Egypt, Canaan and was under Philistine control when King Saul of Israel was defeated at Mount Gilboa and hung on the city wall of Beth Shean after his death (1 Sam 31:10). Possibly later conquered by King David it was mentioned as one of the 12 royal supply districts at 1Ki 4:12. In the 8th century B.C.E. Bet Shean was conquered by Assyria and during the Hellinistic period it was resettled and named Scythopolis. The Romans gained control of the city in the 1st century B.C.E. and Josephus describes Scythopolis as the largest city of the Decapolis and the only one situated to the west of the Jordan.

Scythopolis continue to thrive for centuries as seen by the ruins of the elegant public buildings and streets. The city was destroyed by earthquakes in the 8th century B.C.E and today these ruins give us one of the most intact examples of the influence and grandeur of the Roman presence in Israel.

Gilboa

Mount Gilboa rises steeply above the Bet Shean and Jezreel valleys giving great views in all directions of Jezreel, Bet Shean, Mount Tabor, Galilee and the West Bank (Samaritan Hills). The spring is particularly colourful when the slopes are covered with wild flowers.

Gilboa is well known for Gideon’s encampment at the “Spring of Harad” before his victory over the Middianites (Jg 7:1) and the defeat and death of King Saul and his 3 sons including Jonathan at the hands of the Philistines (1Sa 31:1-4).

Jordan River

The Jordan River is the main river of Israel flowing into the Sea of Galilee from the north and flowing out of the lake on the south below sea level before emptying into the Dead Sea. The river is framed by the deep Rift Valley that runs from Lebanon to the Red Sea that neatly divides east and west Palestine. The Jordan is the river the ancient Israelites, led by Joshua, crossed on their conquest of Jericho and the land of Canaan (Jos 3:9-17), where Nahaam, the Assyrian King was healed of Leprosy (2Ki 5:10-14) and where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist (Mt 3:13-17).

Today because of irrigation, most of year the Jordan river levels have been reduced to not much more than a creek but just south of the sea of Galilee, where the river is at it’s fullest it is possible to catch a glimpse of what it might have looked like in ancient times.

daniel campbellMarch 25, 2020