Difference between revisions of "Beth-Shean; Beth-Shan"

<p> ''''' beth ''''' - ''''' shē´an ''''' , ''''' beth´shan ''''' ( בּית־שׁן , <i> ''''' bēth ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' shan ''''' </i> , or בּית־שׁאן , <i> ''''' bēth ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' she'ān ''''' </i> ; in [[Apocrypha]] Βαιθσάν , <i> ''''' Baithsán ''''' </i> or Βεθσά , <i> ''''' Bethsá ''''' </i> ): A city in the territory of [[Issachar]] assigned to Manasseh, out of which the [[Canaanites]] were not driven (&nbsp;Joshua 17:11; &nbsp;Judges 1:27 ); in the days of Israel's strength they were put to taskwork (&nbsp;Judges 1:28 ). They doubtless were in league with the [[Philistines]] who after Israel's defeat on [[Gilboa]] exposed the bodies of Saul and his sons on the wall of the city (&nbsp;1 Samuel 31:7 ), whence they were rescued by the men of [[Jabesh]] , who remembered the earlier kindness of the king (&nbsp;1 Samuel 31:7; &nbsp;2 Samuel 21:12 ). In &nbsp;1 Kings 4:12 the name applies to the district in which the city stands. It was called [[Scythopolis]] by the Greeks. This may be connected with the invasion of [[Palestine]] by the [[Scythians]] who, according to [[George]] Syncellus, "overran Palestine and took possession of Beisan." This may be the invasion noticed by Herodotus, circa 600 bc (i.104-6). Here [[Tryphon]] failed in his first attempt to take [[Jonathan]] by treachery (1 Macc 12:40). It fell to John Hyrcanus, but was taken from the [[Jews]] by Pompey. It was rebuilt by [[Gabinius]] ( <i> Ant. </i> , Xiv , v, 3), and became an important member of the league of the "ten cities" ( <i> BJ </i> , III, ix, 7). The impiousness of the inhabitants is painted in dark colors by [[Josephus]] ( <i> Vita </i> , 6; <i> BJ </i> , II, xviii, 3); and the [[Mishna]] speaks of it as a center of idol worship ('Abhodhah Zarah, i.4). Later it was the seat of a bishop. </p> <p> It is represented by the modern <i> ''''' Beisan ''''' </i> , in the throat of the [[Vale]] of [[Jezreel]] where it falls into the [[Jordan]] valley, on the southern side of the stream from <i> ''''' ‛Ain Jalud ''''' </i> . The ruins of the ancient city are found on the plain, and on the great mound where probably stood the citadel. Between the town and the stretch of marsh land to the South runs the old road from East to West up the Vale of Jezreel, uniting in [[Esdraelon]] with the great caravan road from North to South. </p>

 

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