Subject: JUICE Geography 10 - Be'ersheva
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 1998 00:36:17 +0000
To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
From: JUICE Administration <juice@wzo.org.il>
To: geography@wzo.org.il
Subject: JUICE Geography 10
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World Zionist Organization
Jewish University In CyberspacE
birnbaum@jer1.co.il juice@jer1.co.il
http://www.jer1.co.il/gate/juice
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Course: Biblical Geography
Lecture: 10/12
Lecturer: Robin Treistman
Be'er Sheva
The web page accompanying this weeks lecture is at:
http://www.wzo.org.il/juice/map/beersheva/index.html
All of the following descriptions apply to the city of Be'er
Sheva: The Capital of the Negev, the City of the Patriarchs, and
the fourth largest metropolis in the State of Israel. Be'er Sheva
lies in the center of the northern part of the Negev Desert in
a valley near a riverbed. The modern city lies about 4km west of
Tel al-Sab, the site of ancient Be'er Sheva through the Roman
period. A city that did not originate because of agricultural
significance, Be'er Sheva's distinction lay in its location on
the east-west passage between two major north-south ancient
highways: The "King's Way" ("derech hamelech") on the east and
the "Way of the Sea" ("derech hayam") on the west.
As mentioned above, Be'er Sheva is also known as the Capital of
the Negev. Before exploring Be'er Sheva's Biblical history in
detail, a few words about the Negev would be appropriate. When
looking at a map of Israel, the entire southern triangle is
comprised of the Negev Desert, enclosed by the Sinai Peninsula
to the south and southwest, the Jordan Valley to the east, and
the Judean Wilderness to the north. Marking the southern edge of
the Fertile Crescent, the northern part of the Negev still has
enough yearly rainfall for limited unirrigated farming. The
further south, the less rainfall. Hence, the name of the region,
"Negev" derived from the Hebrew root, N.G.B. which means to wipe
dry. Despite the semi-arid to arid nature of the Negev, self-
sustaining communities existed throughout history. Be'er Sheva
is one of them.
BIBLICAL HISTORY:
The name Be'er Sheva originated in a Biblical incident between
Abraham and Avimelech, King of Gerar. Read Genesis 21;22-34 to
familiarize yourself with the text. While Abraham was living in
the land of Gerar between Kadesh and Shor, southwest of Be'er
Sheva, he was approached by Avimelech and Pichol (the General-in-
Command) to establish a covenant for coming generations. In the
negotiations of this treaty, Abraham admonishes Avimelech about
a previously unmentioned well that was dug by Abraham's servants
and then "stolen" (taken over) by Avimelech's servants.
When reading the text, it is difficult to understand how or why
this well ended up as the center of the ceremony, especially
considering that Abraham was residing a good few kilometers to
the southwest. Rabbi David Kimchi (the Biblical commentator known
as the RaDaK) fills in the textual blanks for us: When Abraham
chastised Avimelech about the well, Avimelech claimed he had
known nothing about it until that day. The two men came to the
conclusion that they better go take a look at the site itself.
So the whole entourage picked themselves up and headed for the
disputed well, which was actually located by the border of the
kingdom of Gerar. (According to Avimelech's servants, it was
inside the kingdom, while according to Abraham, it was on the
outside.) The dispute was resolved in Abraham's favor, and the
well ended up becoming the center of the ceremony as an
indication of Abraham's ownership.
The ceremony also involved an oath and seven sheep. The Hebrew
word for oath is "shevu-a" derived from the root SH.V.A. This
served as the basis for the name Be'er Shava (the Biblical
pronunciation at this point). Though not mentioned in the text
itself, it is also possible that the word "sheva" (Hebrew for
seven) refers to the seven sheep of this ceremony.
The final two verses of this episode (33 and 34) give a very
concise insight into Abraham's continued settlement at Be'er
Sheva. The first thing that he did was to plant an "eshel." Some
commentators take this to literally mean a tree that Abraham
planted, perhaps as a continued sign that the well
unquestioningly belongs to him. Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki,
Biblical commentator) quotes the Talmudic argument between Rav
and Shmuel regarding the "eshel": Rav suggests it was a fruit
orchard from which Abraham served fruit to his houseguests.
Shmuel explains that it was an inn or respite for travelers.
Either way, this is connected to the second part of the verse
which states that Abraham called God's name and that it was in
Be'er Sheva.
Abraham's self-proclaimed lifetime mission was to introduce the
pagan world to monotheism. He would place himself in "strategic"
locations so as to attract passersby into his house (or inn)
giving him the opportunity to be their host. When it came time
for the guests to thank him, he would exclaim, "Don't thank me,
it's the One God you have to thank."
Situated on the frequently travelled east-west passage between
the two major north-south routes, Be'er Sheva was an ideal
location for Abraham's campaign. The location, the well, and
means to sustain his flocks were all that Abraham needed to
attract a following that acknowledged the one God. Apparently
this was successful enough that he remained in Be'er Sheva for
"many days" which was calculated by Rashi as 26 years.
On to the next Patriarch, Isaac: There is another treaty between
Isaac and the same Avimelech and Pichol who made the first pact
with Abraham. After living in the heart of Gerar (most likely in
its capital city), Isaac returns to Be'er Sheva (see Genesis
26;23-34). He orders his servants to bore a well (either the
original dried up or they had to redig it). Meanwhile,
Avimelech's party approaches Isaac to make another treaty. This
time, there were no sheep, but the well once again is mentioned,
for on the same day of the treaty, the servants found water in
the well they were digging. The area was "renamed" once again
Be'er Sheva with the same play on words: The oath, and the fact
that it was well number 7 to be dug - three in Abraham's time and
3 previously by Isaac's servants (see Genesis 26;19-22).
Isaac spent most of his life in Be'er Sheva. Jacob and Esau were
most likely born there, and when Jacob fled his home for fear of
his life from Esau, he departed from Be'er Sheva (Gen. 28;10).
When he returned to Canaan with his family, he lived in Hebron
rather than Be'er Sheva. The final mention of the Patriarchs in
Be'er Sheva is after Jacob and his family departed southward from
Hebron toward Egypt, he stopped in Be'er Sheva, offering
sacrifices to God (Genesis 46;1-3). According to RaDaK, (Rabbi
David Kimchi, mentioned above) the reason for this "religious"
stop in Be'er Sheva was that Be'er Sheva essentially denoted the
southern border of Biblical Israel. Isaac, the Patriarch who
never stepped foot outside of the Promised Land was ordered not
to do so by God (see Genesis 26;1-3). As Jacob approached the
southern border of the Promised Land, he wanted to entreat God
one last time to make sure he was doing the right thing, or to
give God one last opportunity to stop him from leaving. Through
the dream Jacob had in Be'er Sheva, God gave him the go-ahead to
journey into Egypt.
After the conquest of Joshua and the Israelites, the land of
Israel was apportioned to the Twelve Tribes. According to Joshua
15;28, the city of Be'er Sheva fell to the lot of Judah. Later,
it states (Joshua 19;2) that Be'er Sheva became a city under the
tribe of Shimon. Be'er Sheva was indeed officially Shimon's
inheritance, but it was situated within the territory of Judah.
The text in Joshua 19;9 suggests that Shimon was so-to-speak
"swallowed" by Judah: The tribe of Judah was much larger than
that of Shimon, and the land was allocated according to the
number of households. A second reason for the "swallowed"
inheritance derives from the "curse" of Jacob that the tribes of
Shimon and Levi be scattered among Israel because of the behavior
of the original Shimon and Levi in Shechem (see Genesis 34;1-31
and 49;7). The tribe of Levi inhabited numerous cities throughout
the entire land of Israel; Shimon's cities were really within the
inheritance of another tribe.
Beginning with the settlement of the land in Joshua's time, the
Land of Israel had clearly delineated boundaries. The
northernmost point was considered "Dan" (by Mount Hermon in the
Golan) and the southernmost point was "Be'er Sheva." The
subsequent references in the Bible that imply the entire land or
the entire nation metaphorically state "from Dan unto Be'er
Sheva." For examples, see Judges 20;1 / Samuel I 3;20 / Samuel
II 3;10, 17;11, 24;2,5.
When the Prophet Samuel grew old, the people of Israel fretted
they would be left with no leadership upon his death. The
Biblical text (Samuel I 8;1-3) further explains the nervousness
of the people: Samuel had established his sons Yoel and Aviah as
judges. They served in Be'er Sheva, but not at all
satisfactorily. As explained by the Talmud (Shabbat 56), the
people were used to Samuel's travelling around the country like
a circuit-court judge bringing justice and a boost of
spirituality to the people throughout the land. His sons, on the
other hand, not only planted themselves in one location expecting
everyone to come to them, but they also perverted justice. To
make matters worse, the place they sat in judgement was the
southernmost edge of the land, making it that much harder for
people to get there. On an interesting note, there is a minority
opinion that states that they sat in a different Be'er Sheva, one
that lay on the border between the Upper and Lower Galilee, as
mentioned in the writings of Josephus Flavius.
The prophet, Elijah, made a stop in Be'er Sheva as he fled
southward toward Horeb (Sinai) from Jezebel, wife of Ahab. The
reference in the text there (Kings I 19;3) describes in two words
the political situation of the time in Be'er Sheva: "...and he
came to Be'er Sheva OF JUDAH." Didn't we see that it was actually
given over to the tribe of Shimon? Upon the division of the
kingdoms of Judah and Israel (928 BCE), even though the tribe of
Shimon technically belonged to Israel, by virtue of its location,
it was annexed into Judah. Subsequently, to delineate the north-
south boundaries of the Kingdom of Judah, the phrases "from Geva
unto Be'er Sheva" (Kings II 23;8) or "from Har Ephraim unto Be'er
Sheva" (Chronicles II 19;4) were used.
The prophet, Amos, who lived at the time of Uziah (King of Judah)
and Jerobom son of Joash (King of Israel) mentions Be'er Sheva
twice in his prophecies. Each time, (Amos 5;5 and 8;14) the city
is listed with several other "holy" sites in the land. His point
was that the improper mode of worship that went on in these
places will eventually stop when God will destroy them.
Apparently, Be'er Sheva, as the City of the Patriarchs, was
considered one of the holy attractions of the Kingdom of Judah.
Along with the rest of Judah, the inhabitants of Be'er Sheva were
exiled when Jerusalem fell in 586 BCE. Upon their return 70 years
later, the community of Be'er Sheva is mentioned as one of those
that was reestablished (Nehemia 11;27,30).
POST-BIBLICAL HISTORY
Based on archaeological findings at Tel al-Sab and at sites in
the modern city, it appears that the specific area around the tel
continued to be inhabited by Jews and later foreigners as well
through the Roman period. Sometime prior to that point, the
settlement began expanding west toward the area where the
present-day city lies. There are also many remnants from the
Hellenistic period.
Around the 3rd century BCE, the Nabateans became a dominating
force in the area of the Negev. The origins of this people is
somewhat unclear: It is assumed that they were nomads in northern
Arabia who eventually infiltrated the area of southern Jordan,
where they intermingled with remnants of the former Edomite
kingdom and assimilated the Aramaic language. Over time (from the
3rd century BCE to 1st century CE) they gained control of a major
spice route extending from their capital at Petra (in southern
Jordan) to the Mediterranean, crossing through the Negev. The
Nabateans enjoyed great financial success, as they controlled the
major land passes connecting the classical civilizations of the
West with the suppliers of incense, spices, and other luxuries
in the East.
After the Roman conquest of Judea (70 CE), the Romans continued
south to expand their territorial control. Be'er Sheva became the
southern base of the Roman army from which their forces would
attack the Nabateans. Eventually, the Nabatean kingdom was
annexed into the Roman Empire in 106 CE, but Be'er Sheva
continued to be a military center and frontier city.
Archaeological findings have revealed a large village at the site
of the present day city, including a synagogue inscription.
Despite the "foreign" presence in the city, there was a continued
Jewish population there until the town was completely abandoned
in the later Arab period. There is evidence of a Crusader
fortress indicating that the town remained a viable entity at
least until the Crusades.
Until 1890, the Negev in general, and specifically the area of
Be'er Sheva were inhabited solely by nomadic tribes such as the
Bedouin. The Turks, who ruled over the region, sought to increase
their authority over the area so as to secure their front on the
Sinai border. In 1890, they built a police station in Be'er
Sheva, and then in 1900 began to plan for a city. A municipality
and a city council were set up with Bedouin leaders as members.
The development of the city progressed slowly, and by 1914 there
were 800 Muslim residents plus a few Jewish families.
During World War I, Be'er Sheva became the fortified southern
base for the Turks and Germans on the Sinai front. During that
time, the population was augmented by many newcomers (including
Jews) who provided services for the army. After Be'er Sheva fell
to British forces (1917), many of the inhabitants remained,
though the economic situation of the city declined. By 1922, the
population reached 2356, 98 of whom were Jews. By 1931, the
number of Jews decreased to 11. During the 1948 War of
Independence, Egypt captured the town and made it the military
headquarters for the Negev. When Israeli forces recaptured Be'er
Sheva on Oct. 21, 1948, it was completely abandoned.
Starting early 1949, Be'er Sheva was settled mostly by new
immigrants. By 1956, the population reached 25,500, and over
70,000 by 1968. Today, it is Israel's fourth largest city, and
continues to grow.
References:
Bible and Biblical Commentaries
Cohen, Rudolph, (1988) "The Nabatean Spice Route in the Negev"
in _Israel Land and Nature_ 13(2).
Elitzur, Y. and Kiel, Y. (1993) _Atlas Daat Mikra_ (Hebrew),
Mossad Harav Kook: Jerusalem.
Orni, E., and Efrat, E. (1973) _Geography of Israel_, Israel
Universities Press: Jerusalem.
Rappel, Joel (ed.) (1984) _History of Eretz-Israel: From
Prehistory up to 1882_, (Hebrew) Tel Aviv: Ministry of
Defense.
Yitzchaki, A. (ed.) (1980) _Israel Guide: Sharon, Southern
Coastan Plain, and Northern Negev_ (Hebrew), Keter and the
Defense Ministry: Jerusalem.
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