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!