Bethshean

(house of rest), or in Samuel, BETHSHAN, a city which belonged to Manasseh, (1 Chronicles 7:29) though within the limits of Issachar (Joshua 17:11) and therefore on the west of Jordan. Comp. 1 Macc. 5:62. In later times it was called Scythopolis. 2 Macc. 12:29. The place is still known as Beisan . It lies in the Ghor or Jordan valley, about twelve miles south of the Sea of Galilee and four miles west of the Jordan.

House of security or rest, a city which belonged to Manasseh (1 Chronicles 7:29), on the west of Jordan. The bodies of Saul and his sons were fastened to its walls. In Solomon's time it gave its name to a district (1 Kings 4:12). The name is found in an abridged form, Bethshan, in 1 Samuel 31:10, 12 and 2 Samuel 21:12. It is on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, about 5 miles from the Jordan, and 14 from the south end of the Lake of Gennesaret. After the Captivity it was called Scythopolis, i.e., "the city of the Scythians," who about B.C. 640 came down from the steppes of Southern Russia and settled in different places in Syria. It is now called Beisan. BETH-SHEAN; BETH-SHAN

beth-she'-an, beth'-shan (beth-shan, or [beth-she'an]; in Apocrypha Baithsan or Bethsa): A city in the territory of Issachar assigned to Manasseh, out of which the Canaanites were not driven (Joshua 17:11 Judges 1:27); in the days of Israel's strength they were put to taskwork (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 (1 Samuel 31:7), whence they were rescued by the men of Jabesh, who remembered the earlier kindness of the king (1 Samuel 31:7 2 Samuel 21:12). In 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 B.C. (i.104-6). Here Tryphon failed in his first attempt to take Jonathan by treachery (1 Maccabees 12:40). It fell to John Hyrcanus, but was taken from the Jews by Pompey. It was rebuilt by Gabinius (Ant., XIV, v, 3), and became an important member of the league of the "ten cities" (BJ, III, ix, 7). The impiousness of the inhabitants is painted in dark colors by Josephus (Vita, 6; BJ, 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.

It is represented by the modern Beisan, in the throat of the Vale of Jezreel where it falls into the Jordan valley, on the southern side of the stream from `Ain Jalud. 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.

W. Ewing

Journey to Jerusalem. Ten Lepers. Concerning the Kingdom.
... He then turned eastward along that border down the wady Bethshean which separates
the two provinces, and crossed the Jordan into Per??a, where we soon find him ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xcv journey to jerusalem ten.htm

The Story of the Baptist, from his Last Testimony to Jesus to his ...
... Ancient tradition placed the latter a few miles south of Scythopolis or Bethshean,
on the borders of Galilee, or rather, the Decapolis, and Samaria. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxviii the story of.htm

A Nation's Struggle for a Home and Freedom.
... Their life centered about certain important cities like Megiddo on the southwestern
side and Bethshean on the eastern side of the Plain of Esdraelon. ...
/.../kent/the making of a nation/study xii a nations struggle.htm

In Jud??a and through Samaria - a Sketch of Samaritan History and ...
... But the oldest tradition, which places it a few miles to the south of Bethshean
(Scythopolis), on the border of Samaria and Galilee, has this in its favour ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter vii in judaea and.htm

Appendix v. Rabbinic Theology and Literature
... III. Sivan. 1. On the 17th Sivan the tower of Zur was taken. 2. On the15th
and 16th men of Bethshean and of the plain were exiled. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix v rabbinic theology and.htm

Bethshean (5 Occurrences)
... to South. W. Ewing. Multi-Version Concordance Bethshean (5 Occurrences). Joshua
17:11 And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Bethshean...
/b/bethshean.htm - 11k

Zartanah (1 Occurrence)
... 1 Kings 4:12 Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and
all Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to ...
/z/zartanah.htm - 7k

Jokneam (5 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 4:12 Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and
all Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to ...
/j/jokneam.htm - 9k

Decapolis (3 Occurrences)
... These cities were Scythopolis, ie, "city of the Scythians", (ancient Bethshean,
the only one of the ten cities on the west of Jordan), Hippos, Gadara, Pella ...
/d/decapolis.htm - 10k

Pertained (18 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 4:12 Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and
all Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to ...
/p/pertained.htm - 12k

Abelmeholah (3 Occurrences)
... (KJV). 1 Kings 4:12 Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo,
and all Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to ...
/a/abelmeholah.htm - 9k

Beth-shan (3 Occurrences)
Beth-shan. Bethshan, Beth-shan. Bethshean . Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia
BETH-SHEAN; BETH-SHAN. ... Bethshan, Beth-shan. Bethshean . Reference Bible.
/b/beth-shan.htm - 9k

Beth-shean (5 Occurrences)
Beth-shean. Bethshean, Beth-shean. Beth-she'an . Easton's Bible Dictionary ...
(ASV BBE DBY JPS WBS YLT NAS). Bethshean, Beth-shean. Beth-she'an . ...
/b/beth-shean.htm - 11k

Zarethan (4 Occurrences)
... In 1 Kings 4:12 it is mentioned in connefection with Bethshean and said to be "beneath
Jezreel." In 1 Kings 7:46, this is said to be at "the ford of Adamah ...
/z/zarethan.htm - 9k

Oreb (4 Occurrences)
... 26). It was probably the place now called Orbo, on the east of Jordan, near
Bethshean. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. OREB; ZEEB. ...
/o/oreb.htm - 10k

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