Bet She'an

About 15 miles south of the Sea of Galilee lies the ruins of the large Roman (and others) city of Bet She'an. There has been a settlement here since around 5000 BC and is mentioned in the Old Testament as the city where the corpses of King Saul and his sons were displayed. During Christ's day it was a major Roman metropolis . The large columns in the first photo made up the major thoroughfare through the city. The city also had a large coliseum and an Egyptian Temple up high on the Tel.

This last picture shows brick pillars that supported a raised floor. This was part of the ancient bath house. Just outside the building there was a furnace and a fire was built by slaves that sent hot air under the marble floors and through clay pipes in the walls to chimneys on the roof. The floors and walls became so hot that the heat could be dry like a sauna - and I thought heated floors were a modern convenience.