Beit She'an - Capital of the Roman Decapolis

In this tour I will take you to an incredible archaeological site off the beaten track, a day trip from Jerusalem. We spend a full day following the historical route to Dead Sea and then up the Jordan valley almost to the Sea of Galilee. Beit Shean, situated at an important crossroads in the Galilee was one of the cities conquered by the Roman general Pompey in 63BCE and made a part of the Decapolis, a loose confederation of ten cities that were centers of Greco-Roman culture. It is mentioned several times in the New Testament (Matt 4:25; Mk 5:20). We will explore this fascinating site and visit the best preserved Roman theatre, a public bathhouse, two magnificent colonnaded streets, a Roman temple, a decorative fountain building (nymphaeum) and other landmarks of a typical Roman city. The excavation Beit Shean became the first tel in Israel to produce a complete stratigraphic sequence spanning more than 18 layers of occupation from the late Neolithic period (5th millennium BCE) through medieval times.