Scythopolis 

Scythopolis, now Beit She'an, held a strategic position at the crossroads of trade routes in ancient Hebrew times. A thriving city during Jesus' era, it belonged to the Decapolis and boasted structures like an amphitheater, Roman hippodrome, Crusader's Fortress, and more. Young Jesus visited during the competitive games, leaving an indelible impression. Later in his ministry, Jesus and his followers discreetly ventured into the Decapolis, including Scythopolis, aligning with established traditions to spread his teachings. The city's significance persisted through David Zebedee's messenger service, connecting believers and aiding Jesus' mission.

Today, Beit She'an stands as a testament to its rich history with ongoing archaeological explorations.

Scythopolis, known today as Beit She'an, was originally an ancient Hebrew city strategically situated at the crossroads of major trade routes between the Jordan Valley and the Jezreel Valley. It underwent significant expansion to become the thriving Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine city during Jesus’ time. Serving as the primary Greek city of the Decapolis, it was established south and east of the original mound (Tel) and ancient ruins. This remarkable city, the sole Decapolis member west of the Jordan River, met its demise during a devastating 8th-century earthquake, lying in ruins until recent archaeological excavations that aim to unveil and reconstruct its historical grandeur.

Over the years, Beit She'an has become a focal point of archaeological interest. The site showcases remnants of an amphitheater, a Roman hippodrome, a Crusader's Fortress, the Nympheon Fountain, the Roman Civic Center, a Bathhouse, Palladius Street, the Aqueduct, and, notably, the original biblical Tel.

Situated on the north side of modern Beit Shean, which is located in the southeastern corner of the Galilee, the national park is positioned south of the Harod Creek, flowing from the Gilboa mountain foothills. Additionally, the site is in proximity to the Jordan River, located 5 kilometers to the east.

During a business trip to Scythopolis, ten-year-old Jesus accompanied his father, Joseph. Enthralled by the city's clean and well-ordered appearance, he marveled at its open-air theater and admired a beautiful marble temple dedicated to "heathen" gods. His father, Joseph, was concerned about Jesus' enthusiasm and tried to counteract it by praising the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Jesus had been curious about Scythopolis for a long time, and now he had the opportunity to explore it. Joseph, who had previously avoided answering his questions, could not ignore them any longer.

Scythopolis was an early site for what later became the Olympic Games. While Jesus was visiting, the annual competitive games and displays of physical prowess between the Greek cities of the Decapolis were underway at the amphitheater. Jesus insisted that his father take him to see the games and, despite Joseph's concerns, he allowed him to attend. The young boy was thrilled by the games and the physical demonstrations of athletic skill.

After the games concluded, Joseph was shocked when Jesus expressed his approval of them and suggested that outdoor physical activities like these could benefit the young men of Nazareth. Joseph tried to dissuade Jesus from such "heathen" practices but was unable to convince him. The only time Jesus saw his father angry with him was that night in their room when he suggested building an amphitheater in Nazareth. Joseph, forgetting his usual calm demeanor, angrily expressed his disapproval. Jesus, taken aback by his father's outburst, agreed not to mention the games or athletic activities again.

Despite this experience, Jesus later saw a Greek amphitheater in Jerusalem and learned of the Jewish aversion to such practices. Nevertheless, he endeavored to introduce the concept of wholesome recreation into his personal plans and, to the extent Jewish practice allowed, into the regular activities of his twelve apostles.

In Jesus' first Passover in Jerusalem during his thirteenth year, he had recently graduated from the Nazareth synagogue school. When Jesus, along with a group of about 103 people, including his parents, began their journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem on Monday, April 4, they avoided traveling through Samaria, they went south toward Samaria but then turned east, circumventing Mount Gilboa, and entered the Jordan valley.

During their journey, as they passed by Mount Gilboa, they could see the city of Scythopolis in the distance. However, they refrained from approaching this Gentile city to avoid defiling themselves, as it would have prevented them from participating in the sacred ceremonies in Jerusalem. Mary, Jesus' mother, was curious about their avoidance of Scythopolis and couldn't understand why neither Joseph nor Jesus would speak about it. Unbeknownst to her, there had been a previous controversy between Joseph and Jesus regarding this city, which they had never revealed to her.

In the period spanning November and December of 27 CE, Jesus, along with his twelve apostles and John the Baptist's remaining twelve disciples, embarked on a mission in the Decapolis region. They operated discreetly in the Greek cities of the Decapolis, with a particular focus on Scythopolis, Gerasa, Abila, and Gadara.

During this time, the integration of Jesus' socialized religious teachings into the established religious traditions involved a compromise. The followers of Jesus paid the price of adopting baptism, essentially embracing John the Baptist's practice, in order to facilitate the inclusion of John's followers into their religious community. The followers of John, by aligning with Jesus' movement, relinquished almost everything except their adherence to water baptism.

The second public preaching tour of Galilee commenced on Sunday, October 3, 28 CE, lasting nearly three months until December 30. This tour featured Jesus, his twelve apostles, 117 newly recruited evangelists, and various interested individuals. They visited a range of cities and villages, including Scythopolis.

In preparation for their Decapolis tour, a group of nearly one hundred evangelists and disciples, including the women's corps, gathered at Magadan Park. On August 18, 29 CE, Jesus assembled his followers and instructed each of the twelve apostles to partner with one of the twelve evangelists. Together with additional evangelists, they formed twelve groups and ventured into the cities and villages of the Decapolis. The women's corps and other disciples remained with Jesus. This tour was planned for four weeks, with the followers expected to return to Magadan no later than September 16. Jesus promised to visit them regularly during this time.

Over the course of the month, these twelve groups conducted their work in various cities, including Scythopolis. Notably, during this tour, no miraculous healings or other extraordinary events were reported.

David Zebedee played a crucial role in supporting Jesus' public ministry by maintaining an overnight relay messenger service. This service was instrumental in keeping the followers of Jesus connected and informed. The relay stations for this messenger service were strategically placed between Jerusalem and Bethsaida, with key stations at Sychar and Scythopolis. Each evening, runners would depart from Jerusalem, relay at Sychar and Scythopolis, and arrive in Bethsaida by breakfast time the following morning.

At this time, only a few of Jesus' followers truly understood the significant contributions of the messenger corps. Not only did these messengers facilitate communication between believers throughout Palestine and Jesus and the apostles, but they also played a vital role in collecting funds. These funds were used not only to support Jesus and his associates but also to provide for the families of the twelve apostles and the twelve evangelists.

The modern-day city of Beit She'an (also referred to as Beth Shean) was established in 1949 in the deserted Arab village of Beisan. In 1949-1957, Noah Merdinger, the first mayor of Beit She'an, founded the Beit She'an Museum and conducted the excavations around the Tel. The Roman theater was excavated in the 1950s, and major excavations continued in 1983 and 1989-1996. The Tel and the civic center were excavated by Mazor and Bar-Natan, Tsafrir, and Foerster. Over 20 layers were excavated in the Tel, attesting to the successive construction of cities one on top of the ruins of the other, spanning more than 2,000 years