Thursday 19 May 2016

Tel Beer Sheva

 
After first visiting the Monument to the Negev Fighters Brigade, day two of our overnight trip to Be'ersheva took us to Tel Beer Sheva National Park. Tel Beer Sheva is an archaeological site in southern Israel believed to be the remains of the biblical town of Be'ersheva. It lies east of the modern city of Be'ersheva and west of the new Bedouin town of Tel Sheva/Tel as-Sabi. Tel Beer Sheva has been excavated by archaeological teams for many years and the site is of great importance for the study of biblical-period urban planning. It became a national park in 1986 and in 2005 UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site.
At Tel Beer Sheva archaeologists have uncovered two-thirds of a city dating from the early Israelite period (also known as the Iron Age). The tel or mound (a 'tel' is a mound underneath which lies the ruins of previous settlements that once stood on the same spot) where this city was situated was then continuously occupied for about 500 years. Finds include a beautifully preserved well (possibly the one mentioned by Abraham in Genesis 26) found right outside 3,000-year-old city gates, a circular street with rows of buildings on both sides, dwellings and storehouses. During the time of Herod the Great a large fortress containing a bathhouse was built on the mound. Two plastered pools belonging to this fortress can still be seen.
A huge four-horned ashlar altar at the entrance to the park was reconstructed from excavated fragments (the original is now in the collection of the Israel Museum). Though a dramatic object, and central to the ancient religions of the area, this altar is made of carved stone, in violation of biblical law; it therefore was probably not an altar used by early Israelite worshippers.
In the Roman Period the settlement spread to the area of present-day Be’ersheva. That city was later abandoned, and rebuilt around 1900 by the Turks as an administrative centre.
Excavations at Tel Beer Sheva were carried out from 1969 to 1976. This work was funded mainly by the Be'ersheva Municipality. In 1990 extensive restoration was carried out at Tel Beer Sheva by the national parks authority using authentic materials - stones found in the rubble or mud-bricks. A lookout tower, which provided us with a wonderful view of the site, the desert, and the modern city of Be'ersheva, was added and excavation renewed. At this time the uncovering of a meticulously planned water system as it was abandoned over 2,000 years ago was completed. It consists of a rectangular 17-metre-deep shaft lined with stones with a flight of steps along its side, a plastered water system to prevent water seeping out, divided into five spaces, and a winding feeder channel that led flood waters from the Hebron streambed into the reservoir. The water system was established as part of the city's fortifications, and was intended to ensure the inhabitants' access to the water reservoir within the city in time of siege (the well hewn near the city gate met their ordinary daily needs). The system below ground was amazing - well lit and safe to explore.
Tel Beer Sheva, one of the oldest sites in Israel, was very impressive. We walked the streets and imagined the buildings as they were. It's not a huge site but, given its age, is incredibly well preserved. If you're visiting in the middle of the summer, the water system is the best place to cool down!

13 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

love your beautiful smile. :)

what a marvelous place. all those stones lugged and put into place so many, many years ago!

Miss Val's Creations said...

This site looks awesome! Ancient cities are so intriguing learning how people live without the luxuries we have today. Water systems are particularly interesting. Great photo of you down there. :) The lizard is adorable too!

Ohmydearests said...

what a fascinating place! I love the image of the lizard! my husband lived in Haifa as a small boy! have a beautiful day!

Forest Dream Weaver said...

Beautiful stone - it's fascinating to imagine how it may have been....
Love the lizard!

Beauty Editer said...

This is absolutely wonderful!


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Marleen said...

What an interesting spot!

Anonymous said...

All the excavations going on are so interesting! It is so much evidence that the Israelites lived there in Biblical times - I don't understand how they can keep saying that they didn't. I guess hate makes blind:(
Many thanks for sharing this trip for SEASONS and see you at the end of this outing:) Have a great week and am looking forward to your next week's photo!

likeschocolate said...

My husband took me there about 6 years ago! It seems like yesterday!
http://travelingbugwiththreeboys-kelleyn.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-weekend.html

DeniseinVA said...

Marvelous post, what an incredible place to visit. Thank you for sharing this and for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment. So nice to meet you.

Ida said...

Oh wow what an interesting place you visited. It's amazing to see that these ancient cities and such are so preserved. I enjoyed viewing your photos very much. Also I liked the lizard (I think they are cool critters) and seeing your photo too.

VeggieMummy said...

What a great place to visit and I love the lizard photo. Your photo is beautiful too.xx

betty-NZ said...

It's awesome to be in the same place that the Patriarchs lived. What a great experience.

Quinn said...

What an impressive site - all the work that must have gone into the excavations, on such a large scale! And as hot as it looks, I would probably have gone to ground in the water system and stayed there til dusk ;)
Do you know the purpose of the wooden arbor structure in your second photograph? Is it just to provide shade? I wonder if it is also a reconstruction, or if it is something used commonly in that area to provide relief from the sun.
Always curious!

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