Be’er Sheva – Tourist Information
Be’er Sheva is a major crossroads whose potential was felt by Abraham, father of the Jewish people, who arrived here 3,700 years ago. He dug a well to water his flock, made a covenant of peace with Abimelech, the king of Gerar in those days, and the two swore allegiance to one another. Therefore he called that place Be’er Sheva, because there the two of them took an oath” (Genesis 21, Verse 21). To symbolize his ownership of the well, he planted a tamarisk tree.
Thus the city of Be’er Sheva struck roots at that place and at that time. Abraham’s descendants continued to live here, in a place that was the cradle of monotheism – the belief that there is only one God, as found in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Views of Be’er Sheva
Superstar recommended hotels in Be’er Sheva
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Leonardo Negev 4* Hotel
From Price: £82 per person per night
Tel Be’er Sheva, five kilometres east of the city, is usually identified with biblical Be’er Sheva. The site is fascinating, and contains the ruins of a walled city from the Israelite monarchic period. Due to the wonderful finds there, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 2005.
Modern-day Be’er Sheva was founded at the start of the twentieth century by the Ottomans, and was the only city that the Turks built in the Land of Israel. Remains of buildings from this period and from the time of the British Mandate can be seen in the Old City, located in the south of the city. These include the Governor’s House – the residence and office of the city’s governor, which was built in 1906 and today houses the Negev Museum of Art; the city’s first mosque also built in 1906; the Turkish railway station built during the First World War; the station manager’s house; the water tower that supplied the trains’ steam engines with water; the Saraya – the Government House (today the city’s police station); a public garden; and additional buildings that tell the fascinating story of Be’er Sheba under Turkish rule.
