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showdown between them at Megiddo in the mid-15th century
B.C.E. is recorded in the Annals of Thutmose III (Aharoni,
1979, 153–54); the earliest and most detailed record to date of
a military campaign.
After his victory at Megiddo, Thutmose III makes a follow-up
campaign in which he claims to have subjugated 119
cities. The topographic list is inscribed on the walls of the
temple of Amen-Re at Karnak (Aharoni, 1979: 154–65). It is
here that Beth-Shean is mentioned for the first time as bt š’ir
(No. 110). It is probably after this that Thutmose III built the
garrison of Level IXB (ca. 1450–1375 B.C.E.). Dating to a time
slightly after this, when the settlement goes through renovations
in Level IXA, Beth-Shean is mentioned a second time in
Amarna Letter 289:20 (ANET 489) as bit ša-a-ni. The town is
described as an Egyptian garrison staffed by Canaanite mercenaries
loyal to Tagi the son-(father?)-in-law of Lab’ayu (see
other references to these individuals in EA 252–54; 264–66).
Additional testimony to these rulers came to light in 1993
when excavators of Roman-Byzantine Scythopolis found a
small clay cylinder bearing the names Tagi and Lab’ayu in the
spoil heaps of the University of Pennsylvania excavations at
the foot of the mound.
Even though the settlement of Level IX in both of its
phases was an Egyptian garrison as indicated in the textual
references and from the various finds of Egyptian inspiration,
the town nevertheless remained largely Canaanite in character.
All the buildings, the temple complex, and most of the artifacts
were typical of northern Palestine. The well-known basalt slab
depicting a lion and dog (lioness?) in combat is regarded by
most as a prime example of Late Bronze Age Canaanite art.
Levels VIII–VII (c. 1300–1200 B.C.E., Late Bronze Age IIB). At
some point towards the end of the 18th Dynasty, the settlement
of Level IX was destroyed and rebuilt on a new plan
(Level VIII). This change reflects an intensification of Egyptian
control, perhaps beginning with Seti I, ca. 1300 B.C.E.
The explanation for this may lie in the growing Hittite threat
to the north. To counter this, Egypt not only strengthened its
hold on the Beth-Shean garrison, but increased the number of
Egyptian outposts and exercised its influence in other ways as
well. Level VII probably represents renovations to the original
Level VIII settlement in the time of Ramesses II.
As noted above, the Ramesside period settlement was
built on an entirely new plan with only the temple in the same
location as the earlier sanctuary of Level IX. Residential units
organized into city blocks with an orthogonal street configuration
stood east of the temple. To the west of the temple
were two large Egyptian-style structures that probably served
the interests of the garrison – the so-called “Migdol” (fortified
building) and the “Commandant’s House.” The first was
probably an administrative building and the second a Three
Room House. A third building revealed by Mazar further to
the north below Building 1500 of Lower VI resembles in part
the square fortress at Deir el-Balah from the same period.
bet-shean
This building may have been the residence of a high official.
In contrast to the garrison of Level IX where Egyptian-style
pottery comprised only 1% of the assemblage, the Ramesside
era settlement produced around 25 times that amount.
During this time, Beth-Shean appears in the topographic
lists of Seti I and Ramesses II (Aharoni, 1979, 176–83), as
well as in Papyrus Anastasi I from the end of the 13th century
(ANET, 477). Three stelae were also found in later reuse by
the University Museum. Two belong to the time of Seti I and
the third to his son Ramesses II. The first stele of Seti dates
to the first year of his reign and describes an extensive campaign
that included the rescue of Beth-Shean and Rehov (Tell
ec-Sârem) from Pella (Pexel) and Hammath (Tell el-Ammeh)
(ANET, 253; Rowe, 1930, 24–29). The second stele mentions a
skirmish involving the ʿApiru (ANET, 255; Rowe, 1930, 29–30).
A third stele from the ninth year of Ramesses II mentions a
campaign that probably passed by way of Beth-Shean (ANET,
255; Rowe, 1930, 33–36). A small stone stele dedicated to “Mekal,
the god, the lord of Beth-Shean” was mistakenly attributed
to Level IX; it actually belongs to the 13th century (James and
McGovern,1993, 240, Appendix, No. 8).
Late VII–Lower VI (c. 1200–1125 B.C.E., Iron IA). The 20th
Dynasty, the final stage of Egyptian control in Palestine, begins
with an ephemeral phase called “Late VII” (12th century
B.C.E.). The main stratum of this period is Level VI, which the
University of Pennsylvania divided into “Lower VI” (12th century
B.C.E.) and “Upper VI” (11th century B.C.E.). The Level VI
temple was rebuilt on the same spot as the Level VII sanctuary,
while the Migdol and the Commandant’s House were replaced
by probable storehouses. The square administrative building of
Level VII was replaced in Lower VI by Building 1500, the “Governor’s
Residence,” a square building with a central hall surrounded
by rooms. In Egypt, this type of structure is known
as a “Center Hall House.” Architectural fragments from this
and other buildings included lotus-shaped column capitals,
inscribed doorjambs, a life-sized statue of a seated Ramesses
III which was found in the following level, and inscriptions.
The most important inscription was a carved limestone lintel
depicting Ramesses-Weser-Khepesh, who is identified as
“commander of the troops,” with cartouches of Ramesses III
next to him. These finds, as well as a high percentage of locally
produced Egyptian pottery, attest to an intensive Egyptian
presence at this time.
In the Hebrew Bible, Beth-Shean was assigned to the
tribe of Manasseh, but they were unable to hold onto it because
of the military superiority of the Canaanites (Josh. 17:11,
16; Judg. 1:27). According to the conventional chronology,
this period in biblical history would correspond to Lower VI
when the Egyptians were in control of Beth-Shean. It is uncertain
when the Egyptians finally abandoned the site, but
many scholars suggest the second half of the 12th century in
the time of Ramesses VI or Ramesses VIII. In the ashes of the
destruction of Lower VI were found sherds of Mycenean IIIC
ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 3 543