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Beersheba ܒܪܫܒܥ באר שבע

The desert oasis Abraham called home
Throughout his long life, the biblical patriarch Abraham never settled down in one single place. As a shepherd, he wandered the land, moving from city to city every few months in accordance with the changing climate. One of the places that Abraham called home was a desert oasis called Beersheba. You may have heard of the modern city of Beersheba, but the Hebrew/Aramaic meaning of this name, will change your understanding of the story…

The Treaty by The Well
The name Beersheba (באר שבע ܒܺܪ ܫܒܰܥ) has an interesting double meaning in the original Hebrew. In Genesis 21, Abraham finds himself in conflict with the most powerful king of the southern part of the land, King Abimelech of Gerar. Abimelech’s servants seized water well that Abraham dug for his flocks. The two men resolved to make a peace treaty. Abraham gave the king seven sheep, and in exchange, the king made an oath never to harass Abraham again (Genesis 21:28-31).

It is only when you read this story in Hebrew, that it makes perfect sense why they named this well Beersheba. This is also how the city of Beersheba got its name. The name has two meanings: “the well (be’er) of the oath (shevuah)” and “of the seven (sheva)”. The only way to understand the depth of this story and get closer to the word of God is when you read it in the original language.