Beersheba and the Well at Tel Sheva
A deep well at the gate of the city named for Avraham's oath
Found 1969 — Yohanan Aharoni (Tel Aviv University), excavations 1969–1976; later Ze'ev Herzog
Where Tel Be'er Sheva (Tell es-Seba), Negev, Israel (Israel)
Dates from Well dug c. 12th century BCE or earlier; city c. 10th–8th century BCE · Iron Age I–II (well and city); Chalcolithic to Bronze Age remains nearby · Avraham and Yitzchak at Beersheba (Genesis 21, 26)
Now at In situ, Tel Be'er Sheva National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
How Beersheba and the Well at Tel Sheva was found
Aharoni's team found the well just outside the city gate and cleared it to a depth of about 69 meters; the surrounding planned Iron Age town was uncovered in the same seasons.
What it is
A stone-lined well about 69 meters deep cut through rock to the water table, just outside the gate of a planned Iron Age town. The site also has a horned altar (dismantled and reused) and a large water system inside the walls.
Why it matters for the Bible
Genesis says Avraham dug a well at Beersheba and swore an oath there, and that Yitzchak reopened it. This well is far too late to be Avraham's, and no Middle Bronze town has been found on the mound; the patriarchal Beersheba was probably a camp near wells in the modern city area. Still, the site shows why this dry region depended on wells and how a settlement grew around one, exactly the setting of the patriarchal stories.
The Hebrew word: be-ER
בְּאֵר
בְּאֵר is pronounced be-ER and means well (Strong's H875).
People this discovery connects to
- Abraham — אַבְרָהָם (av-rah-HAHM) — father of a multitude
- Isaac — יִצְחָק (yits-CHAK) — he laughs
Places
- Beersheba — בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע (be-ER SHEH-va) — well of the oath / well of seven
Events
Avraham's covenant with Avimelech · Yitzchak reopens the wells
Beersheba and the Well at Tel Sheva in Scripture
Genesis 21:14 First mention of Beersheba in Scripture.
Genesis 21:30-31 Avraham's seven ewe lambs and oath give Beersheba its name; the well at Tel Sheva shows the site's lifeline.
Genesis 26:32-33 Yitzchak's servants find water and he names the place Shivah, again tying Beersheba to a well.
Questions people ask
What is Beersheba and the Well at Tel Sheva?
A stone-lined well about 69 meters deep cut through rock to the water table, just outside the gate of a planned Iron Age town. The site also has a horned altar (dismantled and reused) and a large water system inside the walls.
When was Beersheba and the Well at Tel Sheva discovered?
It was found in 1969 by Yohanan Aharoni (Tel Aviv University), excavations 1969–1976; later Ze'ev Herzog, at Tel Be'er Sheva (Tell es-Seba), Negev, Israel.
Where is Beersheba and the Well at Tel Sheva today?
In situ, Tel Be'er Sheva National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Which Bible verses does Beersheba and the Well at Tel Sheva relate to?
Genesis 21:14, Genesis 21:30-31, Genesis 26:32-33.
Related discoveries
- גְּרָרTel Haror (Tell Abu Hureira): GerarThe Middle Bronze city with a Canaanite temple, most often identified as Abraham and Isaac's Gerar
- בְּאֵר שֶׁבַעTel Beersheba Planned CityA royal administrative town laid out on a single plan in the Negev
- אֵל עֶלְיוֹןGenesis Apocryphon (1QapGen)An Aramaic retelling of Genesis with Lamech, Noah and Abraham speaking in their own voices
- אֲחֻזַּת קֶבֶרCave of Machpelah (Herodian Enclosure)Herod's monument over the traditional tomb of the patriarchs
- עֲנָקִיםHebron (Tell Rumeida)Caleb's city, with Bronze Age walls and Late Bronze occupation
- כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּיםBeni Hasan Tomb Painting of SemitesA caravan of 'Asiatics' entering Egypt in the days of the patriarchs
Sources
- Herzog, 'Beer-Sheba II: The Early Iron Age Settlements' (Tel Aviv, 1984)
- Wikipedia: Tel Be'er Sheva
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