Difference between revisions of "Beersheba"

<p> [[Beersheba]] means "well of the oath". The southern limit of the [[Holy]] Land, as Dan in the N.: "from Dan to Beersheba" (compare in David's census, &nbsp;1 Chronicles 21:2; &nbsp;2 Samuel 24:2-7) comprehends the whole. Called so from the oath of peace between [[Abraham]] and Abimelech, king of the [[Philistines]] (&nbsp;Genesis 21:31), else from the seven ( '''''Sheba'''''' ) ewe lambs slain there: indeed '''''Sheba'''''' , an oath, is from the custom of binding one's self by seven things, as Abraham made the seven ewe lambs a pledge of his covenant with Abimelech. Again, from the like oath between [[Abimelech]] (with Phichol, his captain) and Isaac, it being not uncommon for an event to be recorded as occurring apparently for the first time, which has been recorded as occurring earlier before: so [[Bethel]] (&nbsp;Genesis 26:31-33). </p> <p> The well dug by Abraham and secured to him by oath had been covered and lost. It is found by Isaac's servants just after the covenant made between him and Abimelech. The series of events recalls to Isaac's mind the original name and that which gave rise to the name; so he restores both the well itself and the name. Seven ''('' '''''Sheba'''''' '' Which Also May [[Explain]] The Name)'' wells are at the place, so that a different one may have been named by Isaac from that named by Abraham. They all pour their streams into the wady es Seba, and are called Bir es seba, the largest 12 ft. diameter, and masonry round reaching 28 ft. down, and 44 from bottom to surface of the water. The second, at a hundred yards distance, 5 in diameter, 42 in depth. The other five further off. The stones around the mouth are worn into grooves by the action of ropes for so many ages. Around the large are nine stone troughs; around the smaller, five. </p> <p> The water is excellent, and grass with crocuses and lilies abounds. Abraham planted here a" grove" ( ''''''Eshel''''' ) (distinct from the idol grove, Asheerah, or [[Astarte]] Baal), or tree, the tamarisk, long living, of hard wood, with long, clustering, evergreen leaves, as a type of the ever enduring grace of the faithful, covenant keeping God (&nbsp;Genesis 21:33), "and called on the name (the self manifested character and person) of Jehovah, the everlasting God." (See [[Baal]] .) Here it was that Isaac lived when Jacob stole from his father the blessing already forfeited by Esau's profane sale of his birthright (&nbsp;Genesis 26:33; &nbsp;Genesis 26:27; &nbsp;Genesis 28:10). Long afterward, on Jacob's descent to Egypt, he halted there, sacrificed unto the God of Isaac, and had a vision of God encouraging him to go down. The dispensation of the promise, which began with Abraham's call from [[Ur]] to Canaan, ended on the last night of the sojourn of his grandson [[Israel]] in Canaan. </p> <p> So God's promise was repeated for the last time (&nbsp;Genesis 46:1-5). Possibly the 430 years (&nbsp;Galatians 3:17) dates from this, the end, not from the beginning, of the dispensation of the promise. Beersheba was given to Simeon, in the extreme S. of Judah (&nbsp;Joshua 15:28; &nbsp;Joshua 19:1-2; &nbsp;1 Chronicles 4:28). Samuel's sons, Joel and Abiah, were judges there (&nbsp;1 Samuel 8:2), its distance preventing his going in circuit to it, as he did to others yearly (&nbsp;1 Samuel 7:16-17). Here [[Elijah]] left his confidential servant ( '''''Narow''''' ) on his way to [[Horeb]] (&nbsp;1 Kings 19:3-4). </p> <p> "From [[Geba]] to Beersheba" or "from Beersheba to mount Ephraim" was the formula comprehending the southern kingdom of Judah after the severance of Israel's ten tribes (&nbsp;2 Kings 23:8; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 19:4), and on the return from [[Babylon]] still narrower, "from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom" (&nbsp;Nehemiah 11:30). Ahaziah's wife, Zibiah, mother of Joash, was of Beersheba (&nbsp;2 Kings 12:1.) It became seat of an idolatry akin to that of Bethel or Gilgal, so that it was a formula of superstition, "the manner (cultus, or religion, as in &nbsp;Acts 9:2 the new religion of Christ is designated "this way") of Beersheba liveth" (&nbsp;Amos 5:5; &nbsp;Amos 8:14). In [[Christian]] times, it became an episcopal city under the [[Bishop]] of Jerusalem. </p>

<p> ''''' bē ''''' - ''''' ẽr ''''' - ''''' shē´ba ''''' ( בּאר שׁבע , <i> ''''' be'ēr shēbha‛ ''''' </i> ; Βηρσαβέε , <i> ''''' Bērsabée ''''' </i> ): Allotted originally to [[Simeon]] (&nbsp;Joshua 19:2 ), one of "the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah" (&nbsp;Joshua 15:28 ). </p> 1. The Meaning of the Name <p> The most probable meaning of Beersheba is the "well of seven." "Seven wells" is improbable on etymological grounds; the numeral should in that case be first. In &nbsp;Genesis 21:31 Abraham and Abimelech took an oath of witness that the former had dug the well and seven ewe lambs were offered in sacrifice, "Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba; because there they sware both of them." Here the name is ascribed to the [[Hebrew]] root שׁבע , <i> ''''' shābha‛ ''''' </i> , "to swear," but this same root is connected with the idea of seven, seven victims being offered and to take an oath, meaning "to come under the influence of seven." </p> <p> Another account is given (&nbsp;Genesis 26:23-33 ), where Isaac takes an oath and just afterward, "the same day Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged (dug), and said unto him, We have found water. And he called it Shibah: therefore the name of the city is Beer-sheba unto this day." </p> 2. A S acred [[Shrine]] <p> Beersheba was a sacred shrine. "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Yahweh, the [[Everlasting]] God" Gen (&nbsp;Genesis 21:33 ). Theophanies occurred there to Hagar (&nbsp;Genesis 21:17 ), to Isaac (&nbsp;Genesis 26:24 ), to Jacob (&nbsp;Genesis 46:2 ), and to Elijah (&nbsp;1 Kings 19:5 ). By Amos (&nbsp;Amos 5:5 ) it is classed with Bethel and Gilgal as one of the rival shrines to the pure worship of Yahweh, and in another place (&nbsp;Amos 8:14 ) he writes "They shall fall, and never rise up again," who sware, "As the way (i.e. cult) of Beersheba liveth." The two unworthy sons of Samuel were Judges in Beersheba (&nbsp;1 Samuel 8:2 ) and Zibiah, mother of King Jehoash, was born there (&nbsp;2 Kings 12:1; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 24:1 ). </p> 3. Its Position <p> Geographically Beersheba marked the southern limit of Judah, though theoretically this extended to the "river of Egypt" (&nbsp;Genesis 15:18 ) - the modern <i> ''''' [[Wady]] el‛Avı̄sh ''''' </i> ̌ - 60 miles farther south. It was the extreme border of the cultivated land. From Dan to Beersheba (&nbsp; 2 Samuel 17:11 , etc.) or from Beersheba to Dan (&nbsp;1 Chronicles 21:2; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 30:5 ) were the proverbial expressions, though necessarily altered through the changed conditions in later years to "from Geba to Beer-sheba" (&nbsp;2 Kings 23:8 ) or "from Beer-sheba to the hill-country of Ephraim" (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 19:4 ). </p> 4. Modern Beersheba <p> Today Beersheba is <i> ''''' Bı̂r es ''''' </i> - <i> ''''' Seba‛ ''''' </i> in the <i> ''''' Wady es Seba‛ ''''' </i> , 28 miles Southwest of [[Hebron]] on "the southern border of a vast rolling plain broken by the torrent beds of Wady Khalil and Wady Seba" (Robinson). The plain is treeless but is covered by verdure in the spring; it is dry and monotonous most of the year. Within the last few years this long-deserted spot - a wide stretch of shapeless ruins, the haunt of the lawless Bedouin - has been re-occupied; the Turks have stationed there an enlightened <i> ''''' Kaimerkhan ''''' </i> (subgovernor); government offices and shops have been built; wells have been cleared, and there is now an abundant water supply pumped even to the separate houses. Robinson ( <i> BW </i> , Xvii , 247ff) has described how he found seven ancient wells there - probably still more will yet be found. The whole neighborhood is strewn with the ruins of the Byzantine city which once flourished there; it was an episcopal see. It is probable that the city of Old [[Testament]] times stood where <i> ''''' Ṭell es Seba‛ ''''' </i> now is, some 2 1/2 miles to the East; from the summit a commanding view can be obtained ( <i> PEF </i> , III, 394, [[Sheet]] Xxiv ). </p>