Today we joined another Weizmann trip, this time to Bet Shean and Mount Gilboa in the north very close to the borders to Jordan and the Westbank.
First, we visited the Egyptian city on a hill before walking between the Roman stones in the valley. It is a huge archaeological site, nearly as impressive as the Forum Romanum in Rome. We saw for example a large theatre, many columns and a well preserved bath house with a frigidarium, caldarium and tepidarium.
In 749, Bet Shean was destroyed by a tremendous earthquake. Still the area is shaken by milder earthquakes roughly once per century because it is situated so close to the Jordan Rift Valley as part of the Great Rift Valley where the African continental plate hits the Arabian plate.
Even now in February it was about 30° in Bet Shean because it lies 100m below sea level.
Afterwards, we enjoyed the view from Mount Gilboa (which is only 508m high) where one can see beautiful flowers in this season. The nature is very green now, but it will get dry soon.
