Tel Bet She’an

1 Samuel 31 tells the story of the death of Saul and Jonathon at the hands of the Philistines. Their bodies were hung on the wall of Beit She'an.

The city is located on the east side of the Jezreel Valley, situated to control trade along the Via Maris. It's the counterpart to Megiddo that sits on the west side of the valley.

The Beit She'an archeological work has revealed 20 layers of civilization. Over time, the city had been controlled by the Canaanites, Egyptians, Philistines, Israel (conquered by King David), the Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, and Ottomans.

Note: The dead tree at the top of the tel was used in the movie Jesus Christ Superstar as the location where Judas hung himself.Read more