Beth-shan

Biblical Text

Beth-shan appears in several books of the Old Testament. The New Korean Revised Version renders the name as "Beth-shan" in the books of Samuel and as "Beth-shean" in Joshua, Judges, 1 Kings, and 1 Chronicles.

• Division of the land: Joshua 17:11 lists Beth-shean and its towns as the portion of the tribe of Manasseh. Joshua 17:16 states that the Canaanites of this place had chariots of iron.
• An unconquered city: Judges 1:27 records that the tribe of Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean.
• The death of Saul: According to 1 Samuel 31:8-13, the Philistines placed the armor of Saul, who had fallen on Mount Gilboa, in the temple of Ashtaroth and fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. The inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead traveled all night, recovered the bodies of Saul and his sons, and buried them.
• David's reburial: 2 Samuel 21:12-14 relates that David took the bones of Saul and Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead and buried them in the land of Benjamin. This passage states that the bones had been taken "from the street of Bethshan."
• Solomon's administrative districts: In 1 Kings 4:12, Beth-shean belongs to the district assigned to Baana, one of the regional officers appointed by Solomon.
• The land of the descendants of Manasseh: 1 Chronicles 7:29 also lists Beth-shean among the cities of the descendants of Manasseh.

Background

Beth-shan lay at the point where the Jezreel Valley opens into the Jordan River valley. It was therefore a strategic site guarding routes running both east–west and north–south. The Hebrew name begins with beth ("house"). The second element, shan, has been interpreted as meaning "rest" or "quiet," among other suggestions, but its meaning remains uncertain.

The archaeological site identified with the city is Tel Beit She'an. Artifacts from the New Kingdom period of Egypt, along with pharaonic inscriptions, have been excavated there. On this basis, Egypt is understood to have stationed a garrison at the site for a time.

From the Hellenistic period onward, the city was known as Scythopolis. In the Roman period it belonged to the Decapolis, a league of ten cities. Most of the Decapolis cities lay east of the Jordan River, and Scythopolis is commonly described as the exception, situated on the west side.

Significance in the Bible as a Whole

In Joshua and Judges, Beth-shan serves as an example of Israel's failure to take full possession of the Promised Land. In the books of Samuel, it is the place where the tragic end of Saul, Israel's first king, is laid bare. It is also the place where the loyalty of the people of Jabesh-gilead is displayed: remembering how Saul had earlier rescued them (1 Samuel 11), they recovered his body.

Neither the name Beth-shan nor Scythopolis appears in the New Testament. However, the Decapolis, to which the city belonged, is mentioned in Matthew 4:25, Mark 5:20, and Mark 7:31.

Interpretation and Issues

First Samuel 31:10 states that Saul's body was fastened "to the wall of Bethshan," while 2 Samuel 21:12 says the remains were taken "from the street of Bethshan." The two expressions are commonly understood as referring together to the city wall facing the open square in front of the city gate.

Because the Gospels record that Jesus was active in the region of the Decapolis, it is sometimes suggested that he visited Scythopolis. The Gospel texts, however, do not mention the city directly. The identification of Tel Beit She'an with biblical Beth-shan is widely accepted, but scholars differ on the dating of individual strata and on which biblical events they should be associated with.