In the civic center at the foot of the tell, there is no apparent beginning to the fundamental change in the urban concept of the city save the continuation of the process mentioned above that was essentially manifested by neglecting the public buildings and the continuation of private construction in public areas. The earthquake of 559/660 CE therefore had dramatic consequences on the city’s appearance. It seems that some of the stoae of the colonnaded streets, agora, sigma and the stoa in front of the theater collapsed at this time and their ruins became a source for stone that was transported to other building sites. It was only in the aftermath of the earthquake and because of the Umayyad reform that from the middle of the last decade of the 6th century CE and onwards did the civic center of the city, which until then was standing in ruins, change its function, as well as its appearance.

 

The center of the Umayyad city was now located on the tell, the essence of which was the dense residential neighborhood that was spreading towards the city center at the foot of the tell. On the saddle between the tell and the western hill were a number of buildings that were previously part of a residential neighborhood and were now occupied by light industry. On the other hand, the region adjacent to the tell that was now intended for commerce was magnificently developed, and together with the shops in the agora’s northwestern stoa, is indicative of the scope of the commercial activity in the city during the Umayyad period.

The excessive care apparent in maintaining the city gates, the bridges above Nahal Harod and the axes of the colonnaded streets that reached its center and continued to serve the regional road network on the main cross-roads on which Beisan was located, clearly demonstrates that even though the administrative center of the jund was moved to Tiberias, Beisan still constituted an important economic center for the entire region.