Biblical city
Beersheba
Be'er Sheva, Israel · Negev
The southern boundary marker of the land, Beersheba is tied to the wells and covenants of Abraham and Isaac and gave rise to the phrase "from Dan to Beersheba." Tel Sheva preserves a planned Iron Age town with a deep well and horned altar.
History in Scripture
Abraham and Isaac both dug wells and made treaties here, and the name marks an oath sworn at a well. It became the proverbial southern limit of the land in the phrase "from Dan to Beersheba", and later a fortified administrative town of Judah.
The ancient city
On the edge of the Negev, Beersheba depended on wells reaching the water table beneath a dry wadi. It was the last settled stop before the desert routes toward Egypt and Sinai.
The site today
Tel Be'er Sheva, with its planned Iron Age town, deep well and reconstructed horned altar, is part of the UNESCO Biblical Tels listing. Modern Be'er Sheva is the largest city of the Negev.
Key passages
Sources & notes
Description summarizes standard historical and archaeological reference works. Imagery is added separately and is labeled by type.