Location and Setting 
- Beersheba and Tel Beersheba are two historical sites separated by
three miles. It is often difficult to determine which city is referred
to in the biblical texts because of their proximity to one another.
- The Bible designates Beersheba as the southern boundary marker of
ancient Israel (Judg 20:1; 1 Sam 3:20; 2 Sam 3:10). It was located nearly
thirty miles southwest of Hebron, bordering the relatively arid Negev
region that lay farther south.
- The city was located in a basin at the convergence of two wadis (seasonal
streams), that made the area fertile in the rainy season. During the
dry season, the wadi served as a track for merchants and travelers.
- A layer of clay fifteen to twenty feet below the surface forms a water
table, drawing water down from Hebron twenty-five miles northeast in
the Hill Country of Judah. This water source sustains life and crops
in the dry season between May and October. It was a common practice
in this region to dig wells to tap this underground water resource.
- The Patriarch's Highway linked Beersheba with Hebron, Bethlehem, Bethel
and Shechem. The city also became an important oasis for caravans traveling
to or from the desert territory to the south. It was also on the east-west
caravan route from Edom to Ashkelon.
Historical and Biblical Significance
- The city came to be called Beersheba, "the well of seven"
or "well of the oath," when Abraham made a covenant with Abimelech,
the king of Gerar. It was sealed through Abraham's gift of seven ewe
lambs to Abimelech, giving the sojourning Abraham a well and water rights
in a land he did not own. Access to water was an important provision
at this point for Abraham, one for which he blessed the Lord. He remained
in the vicinity of Beersheba to enjoy it for some time (Gen 21:22-34).
- Abraham's son, Isaac, made a similar pact with Abimelech (of a later
generation). Like his father, Isaac possessed significant livestock
and personnel who were consuming a significant amount of the land's
food and water. A dispute arose with Abimelech about these resources.
Again, a covenant was established, giving water rights to Isaac (Gen
26:23-33).
- The tribe of Simeon was originally the recipient of several cities
in the area, including Tel Beersheba (Josh 19:2; 1 Chr 4:28). (The tribe
of Simeon was not allocated its own territory but was given a number
of cities in that of Judah.) The city also appears in the list of those
allotted to the tribe of Judah (Josh 15:28). Samuel's sons were judges
in the city of Tel Beersheba (1 Sam 8:2).
- Further evidence that Tel Beersheba was considered the southern extremity
of Judean territory can be found in the record of the reigns of David
(2 Sam 24:2,7,15; 1 Chr 21:2), Solomon (1 Kgs 4:25), and the later kings,
Hezekiah (2 Chr 30:5) and Josiah (2 Kgs 23:8).
Bibliography
DeVries, LaMoine F. Cities of the Biblical World. Peabody: Hendrickson
Publishers, 1997.
Monson, James M. Student Map Manual. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1979.
Rainey, A.F. "Beersheba" The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia
of the Bible. Ed. Merrill C. Tenney. 5 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1976.
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