See Roman Ruins in Israel at Beit Shean and a Crusader Fortress at Belvoir

Anyone who’s interested in ancient Roman history should seriously consider including a day trip to Beit Shean National Park on their Israel itinerary. You’ll find the remains of Roman temples, theaters, and bathhouses at this impressive archaeological site. You can reserve your entry ticket here.

As long as you’re in the area, you may also want to add on a stop at Belvoir (“Beautiful View”) Crusader Fortress (also known as Jordan Star National Park) nearby. A visit there is the perfect way to round out a full day of sightseeing.

Read on for information on how to get there, the history of these important places, and the best things to see at Beit Shean National Park and Belvoir Crusader Fortress.

Where are Beit Shean and the Belvoir Crusader Fortress?

Beit Shean and Belvoir are located in northeastern Israel, about 17 kilometers (10 miles) apart. Belvoir Crusader Fortress overlooks the Jordan River Valley and Sea of Galilee. Both are only a few miles from the border with Jordan.

The easiest way to see both in a single day is via a rental car. Driving from Jerusalem to Beit Shean along Route 6 is around 150 kilometers and should take you about 2 hours to drive one-way. The distance from Tel Aviv to Beit Shean is about 120 kilometers (which should take less than 1.5 hours to drive).

History of Beit Shean

Beit Shean (called Scythopolis during antiquity) is most famous for its Roman and Byzantine ruins. Indeed, the Romans and Byzantines built most of what you can see at the site today. However, the site contains evidence of other civilizations too. For example, you’ll find buildings from the Canaanites during the time of Solomon and an Egyptian Governor’s residence up on a hill.

A timeline at the entrance describes notable events in Beit Shean’s history. The first settlement here dated back to the Stone Age, 5000-3600 BC. It became an important Egyptian city during the Canaanite period from 3600-1130 BC. The Assyrian army destroyed the city in 732 BC. It lay in ruins for centuries afterward.

It was revived as Nyssa Scythopolis during the Hellenistic period from 333-63 BC. The site flourished under the Romans and Byzantines from 63 BC until 632 AD. It became a Muslim Umayyad city from 632-1099 AD (a major earthquake reduced it to rubble in 749), and Christian Crusaders took over from 1099-1187. The Mamluk period followed from 1260-1517. The site was reduced to a small village under the Ottomans from 1517-1917. Modern Beit Sheian was established in 1948.

Best Things to See at Beit Shean

If you rise early and hit the road to this Roman-Byzantine city at 6:30 a.m., you should arrive by 8:30 a.m. En route, you may need to stop briefly at a checkpoint to explain where you’re going. I’d recommend spending 3-4 hours at Beit Shean to thoroughly explore the ancient ruins.

Entrance and Site Brochure

Approach the entrance. After you’ve bought your entry ticket, pick up a copy of the map and brochure to get oriented and plan out the next few hours of sightseeing:

Roman Amphitheater

Visit the well-preserved Roman amphitheater, which could hold up to 7,000 spectators. During the Roman era, Scythopolis locals enjoyed humorous performances like pantomimes from masked actors here during the day. The theater was designed thoughtfully, with seats facing north so the audience did not have to look into the sun.

Palladius Street

This was one of the main thoroughfares of Scythopolis, named after 4^th century AD city Governor Palladius. Sidewalks alongside the colonnaded 150-meter road were once covered with roofs. The floors also had beautiful mosaics, and some of these remain even today.

The Greek inscription reads, “In the time of Palladius son of Porphyrus, the most magnificent governor, the work of the stoa together with the mosaic pavement was made.”

The Bathhouse

The bathhouse was an impressive complex. It contained not only bathing halls, but also massage rooms, swimming pool, and public latrines. There was also a courtyard with mosaic floors. You can see bronze models that showed how the complete compound once looked and replicas of common hygiene items, like toiletry sets and flasks of oil.

The ingenious hypocaust heating system moved hot air through an underground area beneath a raised tile floor and into clay pipes in the walls and up to chimneys.

You probably wouldn’t be too thrilled with the public toilets, which provided “toilet paper” consisting of a soft leaf attached to a twig. At least there was running water under the toilet seats though.

The Agora

The agora was a vast open area surrounded by porticoes. Citizens would gather here to buy and sell items.

Silvanus Street

If you turn right on Palladius Street, you’ll come to Silvanus Street. Originally built during the Roman period (2^nd century AD), it ran alongside a giant pool and colonnade. The road was renovated and expanded under the Byzantines.

It probably wasn’t called Silvanus Street in the ancient world, though. Archaeologists named it that because they uncovered evidence of a Byzantine lawyer named Silvanus was involved in the construction of a hall alongside the road.

Most of the street and adjoining buildings were destroyed during the major earthquake of 749 AD.

Fortress Mound

If you climb the hill at the northwestern part of the site, you’ll see some of the most ancient parts of the site. Here are the remains of an Israelite fortress from the time of King David and King Solomon and Egyptian Governor’s House.

Visit the Belvoir Crusader Fortress (Jordan Star National Park)

After you’ve had your fill of Beit Shean, the Belvoir Crusader Fortress (also known as Jordan Star National Park and Kochav Hayarden National Park) makes for a worthwhile stop. An ancient Jewish town named Kokhav (Star) once stood here. You can get a map of the site at the entrance.

Belvoir isn’t the most famous attraction in Israel, and it’s quite possible that you’ll have the place largely to yourself, especially if you visit during the off season or shoulder season. During my visit one early December afternoon, Belvoir was virtually empty except for me.

This big 110-meter by 110-meter structure was built by the Hospitaller Knights—a military-religious order that provided aid to those in need and took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience—in 1168-1173 AD. The castle had concentric rings of defense, with an outer fortress and an inner fortress.

The Crusaders considered this area a strategic location that would allow them to control traffic through the Jordan River below. However, the Crusaders were forced to surrender the fortress in 1189 after a Muslim siege that lasted 18 months.

You’ll find a rich array of gates, towers, and ramparts here that are still in pretty good shape, considering how long ago they were built.

After purchasing your entry ticket, you’ll approach the Outer Fortress and see an area for a moat surrounding imposing walls. Enjoy the panoramic view. A couple of exit points allowed inhabitants to sally forth against besiegers.

Here’s the complete list of major features you’ll see on a walking tour of Belvoir Castle, starting with the Outer Fortress:

• Moat
• Main Gate
• Outer Tower “The Barbican”
• Inner Eastern Gate
• Outer Fortress Vaults
• Water Cistern and Bathhouse
• Northeastern Corner Tower
• Inner Courtyard (Bailey)

Then you’ll proceed to the Inner Fortress, a 40-meter by 40-meter structure with a tower in each corner. It provided an additional protected area to which defenders could retreat if the Outer Fortress fell. Here you’ll find:

• The Inner Western Gate
• Vaults of the Inner Fortress (includes living quarters, kitchen, dining room, and laundry room)
• The Central Court (Bailey)
• Inner Corner Tower
• Postern (Sally Port)
• Drawbridge

During your visit, you might hear a thunderous boom in the distance–possibly artillery. It’s not too far from the Golan Heights. You might also see some interesting birds of prey and Griffon vultures here.

Onward from Beit Shean and Belvoir

If you have more time on your Israel itinerary and you’re looking for additional interesting day trips, you have plenty of good options. Some of these feature additional Roman ruins in Israel. Consider driving to the isolated palace-fortress of King Herod at Masada in eastern Israel’s desert. That’s where Jewish rebels made their last stand against Rome in the first century AD. It’s near the Dead Sea as well, so you can float with ease if you take a dip there after visiting Masada. Alternatively, you can visit the port city of Caesarea in western Israel.