Page 26 - Holyland Magazine - 2010 Edition

archaeologists believe may already have been venerated
in antiquity as “Abraham’s Well.” Just next to the
well, the Israel Nature and National Parks Authority
has planted a tamarisk tree to commemorate the one
that Abraham planted. Inside the ancient city are
structures that date to the time when Beersheba was
the southernmost frontier town defending the kingdom
of Judah. A magnificent reservoir, built to collect
surface runoff, served the city. You’ll also climb to
the top of an observation tower for a fabulous view
of the Judean Mountains, the Hebron region, the
southern Negev and the modern city of Beersheba.

Another important stop on a Negev day is the Joe
Alon Center – The Museum of Bedouin Culture, north
of Beersheba. Here, visitors can explore the lifestyle
of the nomadic tribes that still inhabit the land. Though
most of the Bedouin now live sedentary lives, even
some of the young museum guides remember life in
the tent and can tell enthralling stories. Share coffee,
tea and fresh-baked bread in a traditional goat-hair
tent, while gaining a deeper understanding of Bedouin
life, which bears a striking resemblance to the lives
of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs.

As you tour the museum, you’ll see an almost life-

size diorama of a bride, camel in tow, on her way to

meet her groom. Of course, Rebekkah, who was on

camel-back when she first glimpsed her future husband

Isaac, springs to mind. To bring the story alive even

more, a little Hebrew language lesson comes in handy.

According to the English translation of

Genesis 24:64, Rebekkah “got down from

Water and Wisdom her camel.” But the literal Hebrew is much

This waterfall at the Avdat Spring revives not only more exciting – it says that when she saw
the surrounding desert; it brings alive one of the Isaac for the first time, she fell off the
most important metaphors of the Bible – water. camel! What shocked Rebekkah so much?
Standing at the foot of this cascade, you will We’ll never know, but it makes for an
understand in a new and meaningful way the interesting Bible study – with the desert of

power of verses like Isaiah 12:3:"With joy you will the patriarchs and matriarchs as a backdrop.

draw water from the wells of salvation," or Amos If you have some time to spare, biblical Tel
5:24: "Let justice roll on like a river; righteousness Arad is another must-see. Here, an entire
like a never-failing stream." Less than two hours Canaanite-era city sprawls at the foot of a
from the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem, scenes

like this are an incomparable way to prepare mind fortress from biblical times. Within the

and soul for the rest of your Holy Land experience. fortress is a shrine that archaeologists believe

may have been designed to resemble the

interior of Solomon’s temple, and may have

been destroyed during the period of King Josiah’s

reforms (2 Kings 23:19).

Because only about 7 percent of Israel’s population
lives in the Negev, a visit there is an opportunity to
see a real arid-land environment that is, in many
areas, virtually pristine. For Christian visitors, this
means the chance to picture the trials and tribulations
of the Israelites as they triumphed over four wilderness
decades and to see what inspired many of the prophets,
as well as Jesus and John the Baptist, during their
desert sojourns.

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