Schaff's Bible Dictionary
BE'ER-SHE'BA, or BEER'-SHEBA (well of seven, or of oath), a city on the southern border of Canaan, 25 miles south-west of Hebron, on a line between the uplands and the desert. It is named 33 times in the Bible; only in the O. T. History. — It was first named by Abraham, Gen 21:31-33, who lived there, Gen 22:19; was re-named by Isaac,Gen 26:33, and was then a city; visited by Jacob, Gen 28:10; Gen 46:1; given to Judah, Josh 15:28; afterward to
Simeon, Josh 19:2; 1 Chr 4:28; a place where judges held court, 1 Sam 8:2; often noted as the southern limit of Canaan, as Dan was the northern — "Dan even to Beersheba," Jud 20:1; 1 Sam 3:20; 2 Sam 3:10; 2 Sam 17:11; 1 Kgs 4:25; 1 Chr 21:2, etc.; a place of idolatrous worship, Am 5:5; Am 8:14; was peopled after the Captivity, Neh 11:30; was a city in Jerome's time; now in ruins, but retains its ancient name, Bir-es-seha. Wells and Ruins. —
There are two large wells 300 feet apart, and five smaller ones some distance down the valley. The larger of the two chief wells is 12 1/2 feet in diameter and 38 to 45 feet deep to the water, 16 feet of the lower portion being dug into solid rock, and the portion above this rock walled up with square hewn stones, hard as marble. The ropes of water-drawers for 4000 years have worn over 140 furrows in the face of the stones, some of them 4 inches
deep. The second well is smaller, being only about 5 feet in diameter and 42 feet deep. Around the wells are 10 or 12 stone troughs, of oblong and irregular shape, for the use of cattle. All day long Arab herdsmen and women are drawing water in skins to fill the troughs, as in the days of Abraham and Isaac.