Theater South

Theater South

View looking down from the top of Tel Bet Shean at the Roman Theater of Scythopolis.  The white lower portion of the cavea (semi–circular seating area) is visible.  Above it the black basalt middle portion of the cavea is visible—the white limestone seats have been robbed out.  The upper tier has completely collapsed and disappeared. The theater was built in the second century A.D. upon an earlier first century theater.  It seated 7,000 persons,

The basalt street in the right (west) portion of the picture is "Palladius Street."  The jumble of stones in the lower left portion of the image is the Byzantine Agora and a Temple Complex.