Beersheba's Displaced Villages
Beersheba District's Colonies

Beersheba's: History, Geography, and Significance

Beersheba is the oldest and largest city in historic Palestine. It was the first Palestinian city to fall under British control in 1917 and had long been governed by the Ottoman Empire. Due to its strategic location, Beersheba' played a crucial role in the various wars that swept the region, particularly the Arab-Israeli wars.

Geographical Location

The Beersheba' District lies in the southern part of historic Palestine, approximately 71 kilometers southwest of occupied Jerusalem. It is bordered to the west by the Gaza District, to the east by Jordan, the southern end of the Dead Sea, and Wadi Araba. To the north lies the Hebron District, and to the south, the Gulf of Aqaba and the Sinai Peninsula.

The district, a former administrative division during the British Mandate (1920–1948), was centered around the city of Beersheba'. Today, it includes 23 villages—three of which are currently depopulated (Khalasa, Tarabin, and ‘Asluj) and 19 that were completely erased, such as Jabarat, Hanajira, Al-‘Amara, and Al-‘Araqib, among others.

Population

According to the 2005 census, the city of Beersheba' had a population of around 185,000, the overwhelming majority of whom were Jewish, following the expulsion of most of its Arab residents during the 1948 Nakba (catastrophe).

Some scholars and observers estimate the current population to be about 200,000, including a portion of the original inhabitants who were forced to accept Israeli citizenship and were stripped of most of their lands and property.

The original residents of Beersheba were predominantly from Bedouin tribes, many of whom were displaced to refugee camps in Jericho and later to Jordan, while others remained in the Gaza Strip.

Traditional Bedouin attire is still remembered: men wore a distinctive outfit consisting of a white robe, a belt, and a headscarf (shmagh), often accompanied by a shibriya (a type of dagger). Women made and wore elaborately embroidered dresses using a variety of fabrics and bright colors. They also crafted burqas, cloaks, and headscarves. Notably, the colors and embroidery styles differed based on marital status and age: married women, unmarried women, and elderly women each had distinctive patterns and designs.

Before the Nakba and the mass displacement of 1948, Beersheba's population was composed of various Bedouin tribes, including Tarabin, ‘Azazmeh, Jabarat, Jirawin, Hanajira, and Sa’adiyyin, all believed to descend from Canaanite and Phoenician roots.

Economy

Covering an area of 84 square kilometers, Beersheba' served as a vital commercial and communications hub, linking merchants from Jerusalem, Hebron, Gaza, and Al-Majdal with the surrounding Bedouin tribes.

Agriculture was the main economic activity for the Bedouin population settled around the city. Livestock herding was also significant. The region’s most important crops included barley, wheat, corn, lentils, and fava beans.

In addition to agriculture, Beersheba' historically functioned as a center for trade caravans across different periods. It became a key market where Bedouins and merchants traded grains and livestock.

One of the city's landmarks is its historic market, known as “Souq al-Bedu” (The Bedouin Market), which dates back to the Ottoman era. The city also features a railway station built by Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II to connect various parts of the empire.

Industry

Beersheba's industrial history can be divided into two phases:

  1. Pre-Occupation Period (Before 1948):
    During this time, the industry was relatively simple and traditional. Activities included grain milling, leather tanning, blacksmithing, and textile weaving, using modest and locally available tools and materials.

  2. Post-Occupation Period (After 1948):
    Under Israeli control, Beersheba became home to numerous industrial centers, specializing in building materials, metal industries, plumbing equipment, and chemical products.

Beersheba' remains a symbol of deep historical and cultural significance for Palestinians, representing both the rich heritage of the Bedouin communities and the profound losses endured during the Nakba.

History

Beer Sabe' served as a point of contact during the Hyksos era, when they unified Egypt and the Levant in the 7th century BCE. After the Hyksos were defeated and expelled from Egypt, several towns in the Beersheba region were destroyed.

Like other areas of Palestine, Beer Sabe' experienced successive waves of invasions by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans.

According to Dr. Ghassan Wishah, Head of the Department of History and Archaeology at the Islamic University of Gaza, Beer Sabe' is an authentically Palestinian city originally built by the indigenous Canaanites thousands of years ago. It is also mentioned in the Torah.

There are differing historical accounts regarding the origin of the city's name. The most well-known legend attributes the name to the story of the "seven ewes" (na‘āj sab‘ in Arabic). According to tradition, the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) gifted these ewes to the king of Palestine as a testimony that he had dug a well in the area. From that time on, the site became known as "Be’er al-Sabe‘" (Well of the Seven).

A second version suggests the name derives from a well frequented by a wild beast (sab‘ also meaning “lion” or “beast” in Arabic). A third explanation links the name to the existence of seven wells in the region, which was otherwise barren and devoid of water.

Beer Sabe's prosperity was greatly influenced by its position along ancient trade routes. These routes carried various goods from India and East Africa, passing through the Beersheba trade station on their way to Egypt or the Mediterranean coast at Gaza.

After the Islamic conquest, Beersheba became known as the town of ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (may God be pleased with him), who built a palace there. However, the city's development declined over time due to the scarcity of rainfall and the shifting of transportation routes.

The Ottomans entered the city in 1519, though they did not impose direct rule at first. However, following a civil war among local tribes, the Ottomans reconsidered their strategy and decided to establish direct control over the region, largely due to its strategic position near the Egyptian border. At various times, the area was administratively affiliated with either Gaza or Jerusalem.

In 1900, the Ottomans rebuilt the city and designated it as the center of a district that bore its name. They established a municipal council, a government house, military barracks, and laid out a formal city plan. Beersheba later played a significant role during World War I, serving as a key military base for the Ottoman armies.

Between 1900 and 1905, the Ottomans constructed a grand mosque in Beer Sabe', which was later converted by Israel into a museum.

In 1917, British forces occupied Beersheba, making it the first Palestinian city to fall under British control. Strategically located, it served as both the southern gateway to Palestine and the eastern gateway to Egypt, making it a focal point during various Arab-Israeli wars.

Palestinian researcher Khaled Awad notes that “the British occupied Beersheba and the Palestinian desert on October 31, 1917. On the same day, General Edmund Allenby sent a telegram to London stating: ‘Beersheba has fallen. Jerusalem will be your Christmas gift.’”

Awad recounts in a book marking the centennial of the Balfour Declaration that the telegram reached London the following day, November 1, 1917. In response, Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour retrieved a document from his desk drawer and, in line with an agreement reached months earlier with Zionist leaders, issued the infamous “Balfour Declaration” the next day.

During the 1948 Israeli occupation, the city’s Bedouin residents defended Beersheba against Israeli forces. However, due to the overwhelming disparity in military capabilities, the city ultimately fell to the occupiers on October 21, 1948.

Landmarks

Beer Sabe' boasts a rich civilizational legacy shaped by successive empires and historical events. Notable landmarks that still stand include:

  • The ruins of the old city

  • The Grand Mosque, built by the Ottomans, was repurposed into a museum in the early 1950s

  • Al-Saraya, the Ottoman governor’s residence

  • The historic train station

In 2005, UNESCO declared the ruins of ancient Beer Sabe' a World Heritage Site, following archaeological excavations northeast of the modern city.

Source: Palestine Remembered website