Bible Word of the Day

Beersheba (Negev Desert, Southern Israel)

Meaning
Beersheba was located in the southern portion of Israel near the southern tip of the Dead Sea. This was an area once controlled by the Southern Kingdom of Judah as well as the Philistines before them. Today it’s considered the southern boundary of Israel. This area is mentioned frequently within the Bible and it’s an area of the southern Israeli peninsula that was traveled extensively by the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Once controlled by a group of people known as the Philistines, Beersheba is located in the Negev desert region, which receives approximately eight to twelve inches of rain per year.  Therefore, water sources such as wells were vitally important and determined life and death in the region. Because of that they were often contested over by different people groups.

The name Beersheba means “well of oath” or “well of seven” and its name stems from a treaty made between Abraham the patriarch and father of Israel and the Philistine leader Abimelech. Abraham had dug the well and one of the Philistine leaders named Abimelech tried to steal the well and claim it as his own, however, they both came to a treaty over the well and as a result dug a second well which they both shared.

Abraham travelled back and forth through this area and other portions of modern day Israel, however, Isaac return and renewed the treaty with Abimelech and lived there with his family. This is the area where Jacob tricked his brother Esau out of his birthright after which he fled to return years later. Beersheba, and the surrounding area played a significant role in the lives of the patriarchs and Bible history in general.