Secret Cities in Galilee #2

Secret Cities in the New Testament

The Central Causeway in Roman Scythopolis.

Secret City #2 - Scythopolis

Although the major city of Scythopolis (Sith-ah-poe-liss) was the central point of the finest Roman highway from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee, there is no mention of it in the New Testament. Sitting at the junction of the Jordan River Valley and the Jezreel Valley, It controlled access from Jordan to the sea and Jerusalem by way of Jericho to the Galilee.

The townsite had been occupied off and on since before the Stone Age. It was ruled by Egypt for 300 years, long before the Hebrew Nation made its conquests in Canaan. During Solomon's reign, one of his twelve officers ruled here, according to 1 Kings 4:12, under its original name of Beit She'an. After the return from the exile in Babylon, this city played a role in the Maccabean Revolt to toss the Hellenists out of the land.

In 63 BC, Pompey made the land a part of the Roman Empire. Beit She'an was made a polis of the Empire, a somewhat self-ruled city with an urban center and sacred central point that controlled its surrounding lands. Scythe mercenaries may have settled there, giving its new name. The Romans brought in central city planning, and built an imposing theater which may still be seen today. Scythopolis prospered and became the leading city of the Decapolis (Ten Towns) and the only one west of the Jordan.

Adjunct to the Stadium

There was another way to get from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee: the river road following the Jordan Valley. The Gospels mention the use of this road, which was used by Jews to avoid contact with Samaritans. But they never mention this Roman-occupied city, which would have put them in contact with pagans, presumably even more to be avoided than Samaritans. 

The Roman stadium in Scythopolis

The inhabitants of Scythopolis sided with the Romans during the Jewish uprising of 66 BC. On the other hand, a sarcophagus was found there which may have held a cousin of Herod the Great, reflecting Hasmonean rule prior to the Romans. Several churches were found there from the Byzantine era (330 thru 636 AD). With the Romans gone, the city reverted to its ancient name of Beit She'an, with a majority Christian population. Even so, Jewish, Samaritan, and Muslim minorities also lived there. The pagan temple in the city center was destroyed.

Fast forward through Muslim, Crusader, Ottoman, British, and Israelite rule to today, which finds the town of Beit She'an living beside ancient Scythopolis, one of the most spectacular Roman and Byzantine sites in Israel, a major tourist attraction.

Beit She'an in 1948

Source: Wikipedia

Secret Cities in Galilee #1

Secret Cities in the New Testament

King Herod Antipas built this Roman Theater in Sepphoris

Secret City #1 - Sepphoris

Although the vibrant city of Sepphoris laid less than four miles from Nazareth, there is no mention of it in the New Testament. King Herod Antipas, a son of Herod the Great, rebuilt this city after a revolt against Herodian rule. All of this construction activity so close to the sleepy hamlet of Nazareth certainly got the attention of the family of Joseph and his five sons. Craftsmen in stone, metal, and wood were in big demand, and provided a strong middle-class income for Joseph and his family.

King Antipas had a big interest in Jesus and his miracles, and got the chance to meet him after he had fallen into the hands of the governor of Rome. He was disappointed, though, for Jesus declined to show him some divine miracle.

In the years between the rule of Herod Antipas and the end of the Seventh Century, the city reportedly thrived as a center of learning, with a diverse, multiethnic and multi-religious population of some 30,000 Jews, Arabs, and Christians living in relatively peaceful coexistence. 

The Mona Lisa of Galilee: Grandmother of Jesus, or Pagan God?

A strong Christian church tradition identifies Sepphoris as the birthplace of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary's mother was Saint Anne, who lived in the city of Sepphoris. The residents of the city did not join the Great Jewish Revolt of AD 66 nor the Bar Kokhba revolt of AD 132-135, which ended with the destruction of the temple. Jewish rabbis and refugees, including the Supreme Council of the Jews (the Sanhedrin) fled to the safety of Sepphoris.

History since the Seventh Century has not been kind to Sepphoris. It was invaded and conquered multiple times, by Arab and Islamic dynasties, Christian crusaders, the Ottoman Empire, the British Mandate, and the new Israeli nation. It rests today as a National Park in Galilee.

Sepphoris in AD 2013 

Next week: another Secret City in Galilee, one which must have been bypassed multiple times by Jesus during his campaign to bring the Kingdom of God to the Jews.

Grand Opening of the Rolin Bruno Store!

GRAND OPENING! MONDAY 5-13-2019

Rolin Bruno's Book Sales, Publishing, Blog

This is the Sea of Galilee Boat from the First Century. Jesus may have used this boat.

Newsreel Items:

1. John and the Jesus Boat Episode Four is now available online and in print.* This completes the great saga of Jesus' three-and-a-half year ministry in Palestine, accompanied by the teenage apostle John, "the disciple Jesus loved." 

This book, subtitled "A New Hope," covers the first half of the year AD 30, from Jesus' final preaching ministry outside of Galilee through to the great struggle with the murderous High Priest, and Jesus' ascension into heaven. It also reveals what happened to the "Jesus Boat" after the disciples left it behind. * If the eBook is not available Monday, it should upload in just a few days by Amazon.

2. All four of the "Jesus Boat" series books are collected together and available in paperback and eBook at the Rolin Bruno page on Amazon. Go to https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B013NVWUT6 .

Episode One (AD 27, On the Road), covers the time leading up to teen John meeting Jesus, through to Jesus' call of tax collector Matthew Levi, which began the healing of the estranged Alpheus family.

Episode Two (AD 28, Woes and Comfort), continues the story through the storm on the sea and Jesus' command to it: "Peace! Be still!" It ends with the "Dance of Death" by Herod's stepdaughter Salomé.

Episode Three (AD 29, Elijah's Mountain), covers Jesus' and John's visit to Elijah's Mountain, where Jesus was transfigured, as he conferred with Moses and Elijah while Jesus' disciples trembled.

3. The former series titled "John!" is now out of print, although you will still see them on Amazon's Rolin Bruno book page.The new series books are available at lower prices: $8.99 for paperback, and $2.99 for the eBook.

Some of these older books may still be out there in used or new condition, but at higher prices. You may even find one of the hard cover books, originally priced at $30.00. The new series does not include a hard cover option.

4. ANNOUNCING: Rolin Bruno is now a publisher, with his own imprint and publishing outlets. 

He has been publishing through book distributor Ingram, and through the services of Amazon.

5. What? Bruno is blogging again? … Yes, I confess. It's been five months since my last blog post. I can only plead that I've had my nose stuck in a book while I wrote the last two episodes of John and the Jesus Boat. I plan to go back to answering interesting questions on my blog about the Gospel stories, hopefully on a weekly basis.

The Store Is Open! Check It Out Now!

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B013NVWUT6