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Beersheba is about 45 miles southwest of Jerusalem in the Negeb (or Negev). Beersheba played a key role in the lives of the patriarchs. Abraham lived there for a while, as did his son, Isaac. And Isaac's son, Jacob, visited the area on his way to Egypt, during a great famine.
The name Beersheba derives from an incident involving Abraham and Abimelech, the king of Gerar. The two made a covenant over a water well, and the area became known as Beersheba, which means "the well of the oath" (Genesis 21:25-34).
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree and called on the Lord in Beersheba, and lived in the area for a while.
God appeared to Isaac in Beersheba, and Isaac built an altar and resided there.
Later, Jacob offered sacrifices in Beersheba before leaving for Egypt with his family, to see his son Joseph.
Many generations later, after the time of the patriarch's, Samuel's sons were judges in Beersheba, before Saul became the first king of Israel.
The saying "from Dan to Beersheba" is used several times in the Bible to encompass the northern border of Israel, to the southern border of Judah (the complete nation). Beersheba was resettled after the return from Babylon, and later became part of Idumea. Excavations found six Israelite fortified towns and a Roman fortress.
Beersheba appears in 32 Bible verses: Gen 21:14, Gen 21:31, Gen 21:32, Gen 21:33, Gen 22:19, Gen 26:23, Gen 26:33, Gen 28:10, Gen 46:1, Gen 46:5, Josh 15:28, Josh 19:2, Judg 20:1, 1 Sam 3:20, 1 Sam 8:2, 2 Sam 3:10, 2 Sam 17:11, 2 Sam 24:2, 2 Sam 24:7, 2 Sam 24:15, 1 Kgs 4:25, 1 Kgs 19:3, 2 Kgs 12:1, 2 Kgs 23:8, 1 Chr 4:28, 1 Chr 21:2, 2 Chr 19:4, 2 Chr 24:1, 2 Chr 30:5, Neh 11:27, Neh 11:30 and Amos 5:5.
Next Bible place: Bethany
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Go to: List of places in the Bible