Beth Shean Studies: Aspects of Religion, History, Art, and Archaeology in Hellenistic and Roman Nysa-Scythopolis, Transactions, American P - Paperbackby Irene Bald Romano (Editor), Kyle W. Mahoney (Editor), Dimitris Tambakopoulo (With) Scythopolis, or Nysa Scythopolis, as Beth Shean was called during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, is located on the western bank of the Jordan River. Ancient historians Pliny and Solinus record that the site was founded by Dionysos when he stopped there to bury his nursemaid, the nymph Nysa. As a result of this myth, Dionysos became the patron deity of the city