A roadside town with few attractions, Beit She’an is not a place that people flock to. In fact, its proximity to Jordan means that most people don’t even talk about Beit She’an. And even the people who live in Beit She’an don’t talk about the fact that it’s a major border crossing. If you ask about the Peace Bridge Border Crossing, the most common response will be, “Why? Are you going to Jordan?” However, there’s a good chance they’ll tell you about the Beit She’an National Park, home to one of the finest archaeological sites in the country—which is saying something in a country that’s been inhabited practically since the dawn of civilization. Excavations at the park, which is located at the intersection of important ancient trade routes, have revealed 20 layers of settlements dating back as far as the fifth millennium BCE.

Today Beit She’an is a quiet, plain town with few pedestrians and even fewer tourists sticking it out longer than a few hours. However, Beit She’an is currently working on improving its tourist infrastructure with the construction of new sidewalks, a bus station, and a second guesthouse.