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Beersheva
 Beersheva is the fourth largest city in Israel. As it is the largest and most successful city in Israel's southern desert, as well as the home of the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, it is known as 'The Capital of the Negev'. Somehow, Beersheva manages to retain its flavour as both one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, and a modern up-to-date one too.
Beersheva's history reaches back to the Chalcolithic age when highly gifted agricultural people who first lived in subterranean dwellings inhabited it. Excavations have revealed their Jewellery, pottery, basketwork and ornaments, all fashioned by skilled craftsmen.
For the most part though, Beersheva is associated with the Jewish patriarchs Abraham and Isaac, who gave it its name.
There is minor confusion as to the meaning of the name Beersheva. Some suggest it means 'Seven Wells' ('Be’er' meaning 'well', 'Sheva' meaning 'seventh'), named after one of the wells Isaac dug there. Others say it means 'The Well of the Oath', ('shvua' means 'oath'), after the treaty Abraham made there with the local king. Actually, both interpretations are correct, as both Abraham and Isaac individually gave the same city the two similar names.
When the Israelites conquered the land from the Canaanites, they allotted Beersheva to the tribe of Simeon. At that point it was the most southern permanent place of habitation in the country, leading to the biblical phrase, 'From Dan to Beersheva' which was used to describe all of the inhabited Land of Israel at the time. Further south was the domain of nomadic shepherds.
Until 1900, Beersheva was just a watering hole for Bedouin tribes. Then the Ottoman regime, hoping to encourage the Bedouins to settle down and make them easier to rule, built an administrative town on the site of modern day Beersheva. The Ottoman town, although not very old, is still known as the Old City of Beersheva.
During World War I, the Germans connected it to the Sinai Peninsula with a railway. In 1917 the city fell to General Allenby and came under British control. By 1948 its population had reached around 3,000. During the Israeli War of Independence, the Egyptians strongly defended the town, but the Israelis captured it in 'Operation Ten Plagues' on 21 October. Since then, its population has grown to over 170,000 inhabitants. In the early years of the state of Israel it was a frontier town, and retains a bit of that Wild West flavor today. Its population is mostly made up of recent immigrants (from Russia, Ethiopia and various other corners of the globe) as well as native Israelis and Bedouins.
Have a look at our Hotels in Beersheva and also all our Hotels in Israel.
Some of the main Sites to visit:
 The Old City - While not particularly old still retains a distinctive flavour that sets it apart from the rest of the town. Low, dusty coloured buildings with inner courtyards and narrow alleyways differentiate it from the sleekly modern architecture in much of the rest of the city.
There are several things to see in the Old City. You can just wander through the streets enjoying the desert-style buildings, visit the small shops selling everything imaginable, or eat in a restaurant serving native cuisine like hummus (mashed chickpeas) and falafel (deep fried balls of mostly ground chickpeas).
Governor's House. The house was built in 1906 by the Ottoman government. It has two floors. The first was the governor's reception hall and the second floor contained his living quarters. Each floor had a separate entrance. From 1938 to 1948 the building served as a girls' school. Today it is part of the Negev Museum, along with a former mosque.
The centre of the Old City's commercial area was converted into a pedestrian mall. The centerpiece of the mall is a model of Abraham's Well. On Fridays the mall is crowded with stalls selling everything from pottery to paintings to Jewellery to toys.
 Abraham's Well - Near a small seasonal stream known as Nahal Beersheva (Beersheva stream) there are two ancient wells that, as far back as they can recall, the Bedouins have used to water their flocks. The wells are indeed very old. Whether they are old enough to have been dug by Abraham is unsure. One of the wells has a working mechanism for pumping out the water and transferring it to a trough where animals and people can easily access it. Outside the complex built around the well is an ancient conifer tree which some say is the 'Eshel' that Abraham planted in Beersheva. Although the tree is indeed old, it is far less likely than the wells to have been a contemporary of Abraham.
Tel Sheva and the Brigade Memorial -To the northeast lies Tel Sheva the site of excavations of ancient Be'er Sheva, from the Byzantine era. Many of the artifacts discovered are on display at the site.
 Negev Brigade Memorial - A landmark in cement sculpture, the memorial combines intricate and symbolic individual components to create an interactive memorial that represents the courage and heroism of the Negev Brigade, which successfully defended Beersheva against the Egyptians in the War of Independence. Noted artist, Dani Caravan sculpted it.
The Shuk - is a series of intersecting covered alleyways where stall vendors hawk their wares. Competition is fierce, and bargaining expected. Representatives of all of Beersheva’s diverse population frequent the shuk, so you are likely to meet Ethiopians in their flowing white robes, Bedouins in their caftans as well as recent immigrants of various nationalities.
Every day fruits and vegetables, many grown locally, can be bought, as well as whole chickens, all cuts of meat, fish, spices and pickled foods. You can also find inedible items such as clothing, electronics, and household supplies.
Thursday is 'Open Shuk', which means anyone can sell his or her wares there, without renting space. You can find people selling everything under the sun, and there is camel trading in the morning as well. On Fridays there are buckets of freshly cut flowers for sale. Just wandering through the alleys, each with different sights, sounds, smells, and people can be an interesting and unpredictable experience.
Neighborhoods - In 1982 the Israeli government airlifted Ethiopian Jews out of North Africa, bringing them to modern Israel. Many of the new immigrants settled in Beersheva, where the Ethiopian community currently numbers over 10,000. They recently built themselves a community centre whose conical roof is reminiscent of the villages back in Ethiopia.
The outer neighborhoods and settlements are predominantly Bedouin. Many of the native Bedouin Arabs have settled down here in order to retain their right to the land. Their settlements are at various stages of transition from nomadic tents to tin shacks to more typical white stone bungalows. Some of the houses have a tent in the yard for those of the family who still get claustrophobic living within walls that don't move. The Bedouins tend to have large herds of sheep, goats and camels that you can see as you approach Beersheva from any direction.
Beersheva itself is not located near any beaches or mountain ranges. It is located in a harsh and stony desert, which contains some beautiful canyons and remains of ancient civilisations. Like the rest of Israel, the area around Be'er Sheva contains many well-marked trails. A hike contains all the elements of a good outing, combining harsh and beautiful scenery, ancient ruins, and a possible meeting with one of the local Bedouin tribes or their herds of sheep, goats, or camels. Anyone choosing to hike in the desert there should make sure to bring a lot of water and wear a hat.
The Israeli Air force Museum - is located north of Beersheva on the way to Hatzerim. The museum contains the history and exploits of the IAF, as well as some actual IAF airplanes that children can climb around in.
 The Ben-Gurion University of the Negev - was founded in 1969. The University is mandated to promote development of the Negev region, inspired by the vision of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, who believed that the country's future lay in the relatively undeveloped south (The university's name at the time of its foundation was "University of the Negev". Its name had been changed to the current one after Ben-Gurion's death on November 1973). As a result of Ben-Gurion's vision, the university has a small campus at Midreshet Ben-Gurion, located next to Sde Boker kibbutz, Ben-Gurion's home in his latter life. The campus is home to the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, which award Master's degrees and PhDs in desert-related subjects.
The university is rapidly expanding and has a current enrollment of 17,400 students.
The Negev - covers some 13,000 km, 69% of Israel. It forms an inverted triangle shape whose western side is contiguous with the desert of the Sinai Peninsula, and whose eastern border is the Wadi Arabah. The Negev has a number of interesting cultural and geological features.
 The Negev Craters - three enormous, crater like erosion cirques or makhteshim, which are unique to the region and are an extraordinary natural phenomenon. The Ramon Crater is the largest in the world.
The Florence and George Wise Observatory - is an Astronomical Observatory owned and operated by the Tel Aviv University. It is located 5km west of the City of Mizpe Ramon in the Negev Desert near the edge of the Ramon Crater and is the only professional observatory in Israel.
Emergency Phone Numbers:
Police - 100
Magen David - First Aid 101
Fire Department - 102
Electric Company Hotline - 103
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