Beth Shean(beth shan)
בֵּית שְׁאָן/beth-SHEE-an/
“House of security”
Summary
A strategically important city at the junction of the Jezreel and Jordan valleys where Saul's body was displayed.
☩Strategic Location
Beth-shean controlled the eastern approach to the Jezreel Valley and was assigned to Manasseh, though the Canaanites were not driven out. It remained a significant city throughout biblical history.
Key verses:Joshua 17:11Judges 1:271 Kings 4:12
☩Saul's Disgrace
After the Philistines defeated Saul on Mount Gilboa, they fastened his body and his sons' bodies to the wall of Beth-shean. The valiant men of Jabesh-gilead retrieved the bodies at night and buried them.
Key verses:1 Samuel 31:10-122 Samuel 21:12