Roman Theater at Beth-Shean, c. 200 CE

The huge theater was built around 200 CE. Although the middle tier has been robbed, and the upper tier has blown off altogether, the preservation is impressive. There used to be seats for 7000 spectators. A stairway on the east side gave access to the theater for VIPs, and besides that there are 8 other entrances for the common folk. The theater stayed in use until the Byzantine era. At the foot of the VIP stairs are a Roman temple and a fountain house.

Jacqueline Schaalje, “Beit She’an, Archaeology in Israel,” Jewish Magazine, Jan. 2001.

Ornit Ilan. Image and Artifact- Treasures of the Rockefeller Museum with Aerial Photographs by Duby Tal and Moni Haramati. The Jerusalem Museum, 2000. p. 41.