Bet She'an

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Map of the Decapolis showing the location of Bet Sheʼan (here called by its Greek name, Scythopolis)

Bet She'an (help·info) (Hebrew: בֵּית שְׁאָן Bet Šəʼan; unofficially also spelled Beit Shean, Beth Shean; official Israeli Arabic بيت شان Bayt Šān; Arabic بيسان Baysān (help·info)) is a city in the North District in Israel. Modern Bet She'an was founded in 1949, a short time after the establishment of the State of Israel. Bet She'an lies about 120 meters below sea level in the Jordan River Valley, about 60 km south of Tiberias.

[edit] History & Geography

Bet She'an's location has often been strategically significant, as it sits at the junction of the Jordan River Valley and the Jezreel Valley, essentially controlling access from the interior to the coast, as well as from Jerusalem to the Galilee.

Bet She'an is first listed among Thutmose III's conquests in the fourteenth century BCE, and the remains of an Egyptian administrative center from the XVIII and XIX dynasties have been excavated. The Bible mentions it as a Canaanite city in the Book of Joshua, and its conquest by David and inclusion in the later kingdom is noted. Its ninth century BCE biblical capture by the Pharaoh Shishaq is corroborated by his victory list.

During the Hellenistic period it had a Greek population and was called Scythopolis. In 64 BCE it was taken by the Romans, rebuilt, and made the capital of the Decapolis, the "Ten Cities" of Samaria that were centers of Greco-Roman culture. The city contains the best preserved Roman theater of ancient Samaria as well as a hippodrome, cardo, and other trademarks of the Roman influence.

During the 6th century Byzantine period, Bet She'an housed a Christian monastery named the Monastery of Lady Mary which has a Zodiac mosaic that is still preserved today, and in 409 it became the capital of the northern district, Palaestina Secunda. The city was mostly destroyed by an earthquake in 749 and lost much of its population as well as its regional importance. Crusaders established a short-lived fiefdom and fortress called Belvoir (Beauvoir), though they were ejected in 1263. Under the Mamluks Bet She'an initially flourished, though Ottoman control saw it languish as a small, unimportant town.

During the British Mandate of Palestine, Bet She'an held about 5,000 residents. In 1999 it was incorporated as a municipality, and the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), reported the city had a total population of 15,700 as of 2001. The city lies in the middle of the territory of the Beit Shean Valley Regional Council, but is an independent municipality.

The University of Pennsylvania carried out excavations of ancient Bet She'an in 1921–1933. They discovered many interesting relics from the Egyptian period, most of which are preserved in the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem and some in the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia, United States. Excavations at the cite are ongoing at the site and reveal no less than 18 successive ancient towns. Ancient Bet She'an is one of the most impressive Roman and Byzantine sites in Israel, but attracts relatively few tourists due to its location slightly off the main tourist routes.

The UN Partition Plan for Jewish and Palestinian states included the Bet Shean in the proposed Jewish state. During Israeli/Jewish military operations between December 1947 and May 1948, a large percentage of the Arab population of the region left their homes, mostly out of coercion from the invading Arab armies, who promised their return after their never realized victory over the new Jewish State. Many scenes from the 1973 film 'Jesus Christ Superstar' were filmed here, most notably the dancing scene from the 'Simon Zealotes' song.[1]

[edit] Demographics

According to British Mandate surveys the population of Bet Sh'ean consisted of 5,080 muslim Arabs out of a population of 5,540 (92% of the population), with the remainder being listed as Christians. During and after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war approximately 19,000 Palestinians were coerced by their bretheren to leave temporarily the city and the surrounding region of their own will. The city was then repopulated by citizens of the new State of Israel, after the Arab forces were defeated and the region liberated by the new Israeli army. According to CBS, in 2001 the ethnic makeup of the city was 99.6% Jewish and other non-Arab, with no significant Arab population. See Population groups in Israel.

According to CBS, in 2001 there were 7,900 males and 7,800 females. The population of the city was spread out with 40.5% 19 years of age or younger, 16.6% between 20 and 29, 19.4% between 30 and 44, 14.2% from 45 to 59, 2.6% from 60 to 64, and 6.6% 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate in 2001 was -0.2%.

[edit] Income

According to CBS, as of 2000, in the city there were 4,980 salaried workers and 301 are self-employed. The mean monthly wage in 2000 for a salaried worker in the city is ILS 4,200, a real change of 3.3% over the course of 2000. Salaried males have a mean monthly wage of ILS 5,314 (a real change of 5.1%) versus ILS 2,998 for females (a real change of -1.0%). The mean income for the self-employed is 6,106. There are 470 people who receive unemployment benefits and 1,409 people who receive an income guarantee.

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Bet She'an

[edit] Education

According to CBS, there are 16 schools and 3,809 students in the city. They are spread out as 10 elementary schools and 2,008 elementary school students, and 10 high schools and 1,801 high school students. 56.2% of 12th grade students were entitled to a matriculation certificate in 2001.

[edit] External Links

• Photos of Tel Beyt Shean national park

North District
Cities	Afula | Acre (Akko) | Bet She'an | Karmiel | Kiryat Shmona | Ma'alot-Tarshiha | Migdal HaEmek | Nahariya | Nazareth | Nazareth Illit | Safed | Sakhnin | Shagor | Shefa-'Amr (Shfar'am) | Tamra | Tiberias
Local councils	Abu Sinan | Ajar | Arrabe | Basmat Tiv'on | Beit Jann | Bir al-Maksur | Bu'eine Nujeidat | Buq'ata | Deir Hanna | Dvorya | Eilabun | Ein Knaya | Ein Mahal | Fassuta | Ghajar | Hurfeish | Hazor HaGelilit | I'billin | Iksal | Ilut | Jadida Makar | Julis | Ka'abiyye-Tabbash-Hajajre | Kabul | Kafar Kanna | Kaokab Abu al-Hija | Katzrin | Kfar Kama | Kfar Manga | Kfar Tavor | Kfar Vradim | Kfar Yasif | Kineret | Kisra-Sumei | Maghar | Ma'ilya | Majdal Shams | Mas'ada | Mashhad | Mazra'a | Metula | Mevo Hama | Migdal | Nahf | Peki'in | Ra'ama | Reineh | Ramat Yeshi | Rosh Pinna | Sajur | Sha'ab | Shelomi | Shibli-Umm al-Janam | Tuba-Zangariyye | Tur'an | Yafi'a | Yanuh-Jat | Yavne'el | Yesod HaMa'ala | Yirka | Zarzir
Regional councils	Al-Batuf | Bet Shean Valley | Bustan al-Marj | Northern Jordan Valley (Emek Hayarden) | Gilboa | Golan | Jezreel Valley | Lower Galilee | Upper Galilee | Ma'ale Yosef | Mateh Asher | Megiddo | Merom HaGalil | Mevo'ot HaHermon | Misgav

Coordinates: 32°30′N 35°30′E