Beersheva

The first "summit conference" in the history of this land took place in the Negev. Abraham and Abimelech, two leaders of the ancient world, met over seven lambs and a well, which became known as the 'Well of the Oath' (in Hebrew, Beersheva). "Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants had seized. So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a treaty. Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, and Abimelech asked Abraham, ‘What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?’ He replied, ‘Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well.’ So that place was called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there" [Genesis 21:25-31]. Thus it was here that Israel’s first conflicts over grazing land and water rights were resolved.

Walls surrounded Beersheva either in the time of King David or when Solomon ruled the Land of Israel. Modern visitors to the remains of the ancient city at Tel Beersheva have a surprise in store: the entire Israelite city has been uncovered. Much of what remains on the tel have been reconstructed, to give visitors a picture of what life was in that ancient city.

Israelite Beersheva was very well fortified and there are extra reinforcements outside the entrance to the city walls. A great deal of the original city gate remains - a place where judges met with the people and commerce was carried out. Stones from an Israelite altar (today in the Negev Museum) were found here, in secondary use.