Beersheba

Beersheba is a city in southern Israel, the largest in the Negev and the administrative capital of the Southern District. It sits in the northern part of the desert and serves as a regional center for government services, education, health care, and culture.

The name Beersheba derives from Hebrew for "well of the oath" or "well of seven," connected to biblical wells and covenants recorded in the Book of Genesis, where the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac are associated with the site.

In ancient times, Beersheba is mentioned in biblical narratives; during the Ottoman era it developed as a Jewish farming settlement around wells. It grew under the British Mandate, and after the state of Israel was established in 1948, Beersheba expanded rapidly. The city hosts Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, founded in 1969, and became an educational and administrative center for the region.

Beersheba houses Soroka Medical Center, a major hospital in the south, and regional museums such as the Negev Museum of Art. The city has a growing high-tech and service sector, with government and health employment contributing to its economy.

Beersheba experiences a hot desert climate, with extremely hot summers and cooler winters. The population is over two hundred thousand, with a diverse mix of Jewish and Bedouin residents in the surrounding area. It is connected by road and rail and serves as a transportation and cultural hub for the Negev.