Bet She'an

Bet She'an, a valley bordering Israel and Jordan, has many interesting facts and places of visit. For a nature lover, there is Gan Hashlosha - a waterfall and a stream that surpasses the visitor with its aqua-bluish-greenish waters. It is a natural spring whose waters stay warm through out the year. It is also called Sachne in Arabic meaning 'warm' or Gan HaShlosha in Hebrew., meaning Garden of the Three. The name is in memory of three men that were killed in 1938 stepping on a mine, while guarding the area.
For the kids, there is the kangaroo park just adjacent to this water body and its called Gan-guru. In hebrew, Gan is park and combination of Gan and Kangaroo renders Gan-Guru.

The highlight of Bet She'an is the ancient roman city which is only half excavated. The entire city was destroyed in a massive earthquake in 749. This is exclusively for a person who can appreciate architecture and history.

By architecture i meant, even the simplest, bare essentials like toilets and baths were constructed and provided with utmost interest and care. Managed to capture a few signage that explained their stages of bath.

A much more interesting and a rather phenomenal excavationsat Bet She'an are the Roman public toilets.
You can see the "toilet seats" sticking out from the wall. One cheek on one and one cheek on the other, and you're good to go! Underneath was flowing water, as irrigation was routed through this area as a public sewage system. The waste would be washed downstream. The groove in front of the seats was for the placement of leaves which would be used to wipe.

Additionally, the Romans believed in enjoying one's time in the restroom. Therefore, live musicians would play for the enjoyment of all, since they didn't have magazines to occupy their time while seated. Additionally, these public restrooms were for both men and women. When one was in the sitting position, his/her robe would cover the front side. Thus, the phrase, "cover my feet," would refer to going to the bathroom.

PS: Shan or She'an coincidentally means 'peace' both in hindi and as well in hebrew. Should i rename this post as Bet She'an - "bathroom mein shaan"...;-)