Bet She'an

Bet She'an is a city that was inhabited for thousands of years, including several hundred years by Canaanites, Egyptians, Romans, Byzantine Romans, and Muslims. For many centuries, it was a lavish Roman-style city with theater, markets, multiple bathhouses, and an acropolis...until an earthquake in 749 CE put an end to its habitation. It has now been excavated in such a way that you can walk through and, with a little imagination, see the entire city.

Before we could get there, though, our bus had to pause to let some sheep cross the highway:

Overview of the ruins, with the Bet She'an tel in the background:

 We saw some great mosaics, including this one:

Explanation of how Roman bathhouses work (there were 2 large ones in this not-so-large city):

And a picture of the bathhouse. Note the piles of stones that lift up the floor. A fire heats the air under the floor.

 

Katie, raising a glass in the ruins of a temple:

Hugging one of the fallen columns:

Chilling in the doorway of a reconstructed store facade:

Piecing together a mosaic:

Reconstruction of one of the busy street corners:

View from the top of the tel:

Looking another direction, you can see the Jordan valley and into the Jordanian hills:

Hanging out in one of the structures at the top of the tel. This was the Egyptian governor's house in the 12th century BCE:

Katie taking a picture of an old tree at the top of the tel. In the background, the lower Galilee:

View of a nearby bridge:

Last but not least, a bridal couple, taking a classy picture of the bride, as seen through the legs of the groom: