In Genesis 21, the servants of the king of Gerar, Abimelech, took over the wells that Abraham and his servants had dug in the Negev. Abraham told Abimelech about it, and who said he hadn't been aware of it until that moment.
"So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart. And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” He said, “These seven ewe lambs you will take from my hand, that this[d] may be a witness for me that I dug this well.” Therefore that place was called Beersheba,[e] because there both of them swore an oath. So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God." (Genesis 21: 27-33).
Many wells were dug throughout Be'er Sheva in the millennia since. This one here dates back to Roman times. You can see grooves in the walls where ropes slowly wore them in over time. Next to this one, is a young tamarisk tree just like what Abraham planted.
While it is unlikely to find the exact well that Abraham and Abimelech disputed and settled in peace over, that's okay. What's important about this story is not the exact physical location down to the millimeter; it's that this story happened and what it meant. '
This is the first recorded peace treaty in all of history, brokered by the father of Israel.
That's pretty cool!
It's also a 3-day walk to Jerusalem, which is what happened when Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac at Mount Moriah.
Modern day Be'er Sheva is pretty cool. Like ancient times, it is complete desert.
So when I was there last August, I was stunned at how much green I did see! I mean, I was in a desert, and at places, there was grass! There were gardens!
And, so many fountains. This one was my favorite. Can you see why?
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