Be’er Sheva, as the modern desert city is today, was of greater importance in biblical times, and Abraham, in particular, stayed here. At that time, Beersheba in the Bible was a larger settlement. The biblical events relate exclusively to the Old Testament. Beersheba was the house of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The city of Beersheba in the Bible is in the southern land of Judea. Translated, the name means “well of the seven sheep” or “well of oaths” ( Genesis 21:22-31). The original place is buried under today’s Beersheba. The progenitor Abraham received a well from the Philistine king Abimelech at this place. He paid him with cattle, including seven lambs. And they made a treaty that the well would belong to Abraham and his descendants.
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What is the significance of Beersheba?
The city of Palestine is remembered since the time of the great patriarchs of Israel. Who settled there and lived there for a long time. Abraham planted a sacred wood there ( Gen., XXI, 33). Isaac erected an altar there (XXVI, 25). And Jacob, before definitively taking the road to Egypt. Therefore, he sacrificed victims there and was comforted by a vision to make an incredible journey (XLI, 1).
The name of Beersheba in the Bible means “well of the oath.” And was assigned to it in memory of the oath made by Abraham to seal a pact. He stipulated with Abimelech, king of the Philistines of Gerar ( Gen., XXI, 31).
The city was built in the vicinity of the well. And of which some ruins can still be seen because it was a border town on the edge of the desert. The phrase “from Dan to Beersheba” is used in the books of the Old Testament to indicate the two extreme points. Northern and southern, of the Holy Land ( I Kings [ Samuel ], III, 20, etc.).
Representation of the ancient city of Beersheba in the Bible
What events happened at Beersheba in the Bible?
Indeed, Beersheba in the Bible is the only place in the Old Testament associated with all three progenitors of Israel: Abraham, Isaac ( Genesis 26:23-32), and Jacob (Genesis 46:1-7). ). There was probably a sanctuary in Beersheba. An altar ( 1. Moses/Genesis 26,25) and also a tamarisk tree (1. Moses/Genesis 21,33) are mentioned – the standard equipment for an open sanctuary, which was sufficient to worship God here (factual explanation holy height).
Apparently, the sanctuary still existed at the time of the prophet Amos and was also visited by residents of the northern kingdom of Israel ( Amos 5:5). Beersheba in the Bible marks the southern border of Palestine. This is reflected in the phrase “from Dan to Beersheba” that describes all of Israel (Judges 20:1; 1 Samuel 3:20).
South of Beersheba in the Bible is the Negev Desert, which is part of the triangular Sinai Peninsula. It rarely rains here. In summer, you see bare brown hills and specks of green or an acacia tree. Towards the south, the mountains get higher and more rugged.
What is modern day Beersheba?
The modern town of Beersheba is today called Khirbet Bi’r Sheba ‛. The northern edge of the Wādī esh-Sheba‛ is about 50 km away. In the south of Hebron. The presence of some wells of the very ancient structure. The Bedouins of the surroundings still use, as in the times of the patriarchs, to water the cattle and provide for domestic needs, making identification more reliable.
In the late Hebrew period, Beersheba became, like the other places consecrated by the life of the patriarchs, a center of idolatrous worship ( Amos, V, 5; VIII, 14). Its events were little known until the Roman occupation, when it became the seat of a military garrison due to the importance of its geographical position. Christianity had a bishopric. Abandoned since the fourteenth century, it began to be reborn at the beginning of the century—XX under the Turkish administration.
During the European war, the battle of Beersheba ( October 1, 1917) and that of Gaza (October 6) were decisive. They broke the Turkish front’s resistance and opened the way for General Allenby to occupy Palestine.
A good book is a vital sacred instrument for the Christian faithful. On Amazon, you can find many books that contain information about Beersheba and other great cities from the Bible.
Primary Takeaways
Beersheba in the Bible, the city closely associated with the biblical patriarchs, is situated on the northern edge of the Negev desert at the transition to the fertile area towards Hebron. Evidence of its rich history, dating back 6000 years, can be found at the nearby hill, Tell es-Sheba, eight kilometers east of the modern city. Archaeologists have unearthed oval-shaped caves there since 1969, dating from the times of semi-nomadic residents who raised goats and sheep. UNESCO declared this tell a World Heritage Site in 2005.
As an inheritance of the tribe of Simeon (Jos 19:2), Beersheba in the Bible is described in the Book of Judges. As the southern border of Israeli territory: “Then the Israelites went out, and also the community gathered as one man – from Dan to Beersheba” (Judg 20:1). Which subsequently was used as a synonym for “all Israel.”
Connected to Gaza by rail, Hebron (52km), and Jerusalem (88km), its prosperity steadily increases. And it is constantly getting more significant.
Conclusion
Therefore, the city of Be’er Sheva (Beersheba in the Bible – Well of the Seven or Well of the Oath) is located in the southern part of the state territory of Israel. Be’er Sheva is one of the largest cities in the country. Indeed, Be’er Sheva is considered the “capital of the Negev desert ” on the edge of which it lies. Indeed, for a long time, the city was the fourth largest city in Israel after Jerusalem, Tel Aviv. And Haifa; In the meantime, however, with 200,140 inhabitants, it has fallen behind Rishon LeTzion and Ashdod. Nevertheless, Beersheba in the Bible is considered the “fourth metropolis of Israel” after Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa.
Therefore, the city’s relative remoteness from the state center makes it an all-important regional attraction. Since 2001, a metropolitan region around Be’er Sheva has been officially defined. Indeed, at the end of 2004, 521,100 people lived in 125 localities, with an annual growth rate of 1.8%. In the innermost ring of settlements are the satellite cities of Omer, Tel Sheba, Lehawim, Rahat, Ofakim, Segev Shalom, and Meitar. In the middle and outer ring are the villages of Arad, Sderot, and Netivot. Mitzpe Ramon, Jerocham, Laqiye, Kseife, Hura, Ar’ara Banegev, and also Dimona.
