"A gem 3 minutes off the main highway" Tel Bet She'an by efmesch

Bet Shean is a site steeped thousands of years in antiquity. But it also sits along the Syrian-African fault line and suffers from occasional severe earthquakes. Its last incarnation came to an end in 749 CE, when the then Roman city of Scythopolis was destroyed and over centuries of abandonment, was covered and preserved in dust , dirt and rubble.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority has excavated, partially reconstructed and developed this fascinating place into a first class tourist attraction.
You can walk on the original street pavements, mosaic sidewalks and visit many of the interesting buildings the once were a major Roman metropolis. In the background of the city you can see (and climb) the Tel that has yet to be studied for the secrets still hidden under layers of the debris of centuries.

Passage under the theater

At the entrance to the park, after paying a very reasonable admission fee, you receive a guide leaflet with a suggested walk route and explanations about what you can see.
Specially interesting to my wife and me were the 7,000 seat theater, in an amazing sttate of preservation, the hot baths (minus water), the colonaded streed and the mosaic designs and pictures on the sidewalks and in the rooms.
The site is suitable for a short visit (i-2 hours) or for a whole day of walking, picnicing and picture-taking.

Mosaic portrait from the Byzantine period

The original ancient sidewalks and room floors were decorated with mosaic stone patterns and pictures. It's hard to believe that today you can still walk on a sidewalk with decorations from well over a thousand years ago.

• Pros:inexpensive, well-developed, good facilities, easily accessible
• Cons:Located in a very hot area, not too suitable for summer visits
• In a nutshell:Having been there once, I feel it is still worth more visits