Israel's Dig for History
Keith Feldman explores the multi period sites in northern Israel dating from the Iron Age to the late Byzantine era.
Recent excavations in Northern Israel have thrown intriguing light on the multi-period sites of the region dating from the Iron Age to the late Byzantine era. Foremost amongst these, is Bet Shean, lying to the north-east of the country, close to the Jordanian border. The excavation sites of Bet Shean are some of the largest in Israel and are currently being excavated by the Hebrew University. The dig is part of ongoing archaeological activity taking place throughout the country involving teams from both domestic and foreign universities.
Set in a fertile and watered region, in the words of the Talmuid, 'if the Garden of Eden is in the Land of Israel then its gate is at Bet Shean', the area has been continuously settled since the Iron Age. The modern town of Bet Shean suffers from high levels of unemployment and the Israeli government sees the development of the area's archaeological heritage as a way to create a strong tourist industry.
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