Inside BAR

Until recently Beth-Shean, in the Jordan Valley, offered tourists little more than the giant tell on whose walls the Philistines hung the body of King Saul. But now this poor development town can also boast the largest and best-preserved Roman/Byzantine city in all Israel! As a result, the townspeople expect Beth-Shean soon to become a major tourist attraction. What can they offer? See the huge theater, the basilica, the fountain, the amphitheater and the heated bathhouse. Stroll down wide boulevards, enjoy beautiful mosaics and sculpture and do some shopping, too. If that sounds enticing, feast your eyes on “Glorious Beth-Shean,” excavated by Gideon Foerster, Yoram Tsafrir and Gaby Mazor; you’ll want to put the 6,000-year-old city on the “must-visit” list for your next trip to Israel.