Tel Beersheba

Beersheba (Beersheva, Be’er Sheva) was home to Abraham, Sarah and Isaac. These ruins have been restored by archaeologists, which makes the ancient city easy to visualize. Beersheba is the southernmost city in the part of Judea that has enough water for a large population. To the south is the vast Negev Desert, which makes up almost half of modern-day Israel. Abraham settled in Beersheba because it had water to support his community (21:30). Even the name of the city (“Well of Seven,” or “Well of Oaths”) is tied to Beersheba’s water supply. The saying, “From Dan to Beersheba” is meant to convey the whole of the Promised Land. The Negev Desert stretches to the Red Sea in modern-day Israel, but even now, most people live in the well-watered portions of the land, between Dan in the far north and Be’er Sheva in the south.