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ERETZ Magazine
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Stayput Beersheba
Located in the geographical
center of Israel, some 90 km from Jerusalem and 100 km from Tel
Aviv, Beersheba is known as the capital of the Negev. It is the
region’s largest city with some 200,000 residents and the gateway to
the southern part of Israel.
Human settlement in Beersheba began as long ago as the
Chalcolithic period, when the first settlers established villages on
the banks of the Beersheba Riverbed. The area also was inhabited
during the biblical period, some 4,000 years ago; it was mentioned
in the Bible 35 more times than Jerusalem. This, actually, is where
monotheism began to sprout, on the thin border between the desert
and settled area.
Beersheba also is noteworthy because it is the only city that the
Ottomans established in the 400 some years that they ruled this
area. They lost control of it in October 1917, in the last cavalry
battle ever fought, which they lost to the ANZAC troops of the
British Empire. Exactly 31 years later, in that same month, the
Negev brigade of the Palmach captured the town, making it part of
the State of Israel.
Located in the geographical center of Israel, some 90 km from
Jerusalem and 100 km from Tel Aviv, Beersheba is known as the
capital of the Negev. It is the region’s largest city with some
200,000 residents. In addition to its own historic and tourist
attractions, Beersheba is a convenient base for exploring all types
of sites in the Negev: the Yattir and Lahav forests; the makhteshim
and Har Hanegev areas; the Dead Sea and Masada; the Arava; the
Bedouin villages; Nahal Besor; and the western Negev. One can travel
from the primitive isolation of the heart of desert to the comfort
of a modern city within the span of a single day.
Gal Greenberg
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The Old City of Beersheba
History buffs will find much to hold their interest on this
daylong tour of Beersheba, as well those with an interest in
architecture and ethnic art.
Begin the tour at the memorial to the Negev Brigade (a sculpture
designed by Dani Karavan), where there is a great panoramic view of
the Beersheba Valley (the biblical Beersheba desert region).
Karavan’s sculpture is made up of many different parts that
symbolize various aspects of the War of Independence. At its center
is a memorial to the soldiers who fell in the war.
A short way down the road is Tel Beersheva (entrance fee), which was
an administrative center in the days of the Judean kings. The finds
in the tell include some of the most impressive ancient water works
uncovered in Israel yet. After touring it, cross Beersheba’s
business district via Hebron Street to reach the visitor’s center
and the Well of Abraham, which are located at the edge of the Old
City.
From there, take KKL Street into the Ottoman City to what is known
as “the 20 meter street” due to its unusual width and similarity to
a European boulevard. At the end of the road is the Saraya, the
Ottoman administrative headquarters, which was later taken over by
the British. Today it is a police station. Turn right and then left
to reach Allenby Park, where a statue of the British general stands
in the center of the park. Ironically, the park named after the
general who defeated the Turks actually was built by the Turks. It
was the first public park in the Land of Israel. Directly across the
street is the governor’s house, which today serves as the Negev art
museum. A mosque that appears similar to those found in Turkey is
located in the same compound. Continue on Ha’atzmaut Street. To the
left is one of the most beautiful buildings in town. Originally a
school for the children of sheikhs, it recently was rehabilitated
and will be used as a science education center.
Continue down the street. On the left is the British military
cemetery in which the ANZAC troops who fell in the Battle of
Beersheba are buried. Across the road, just past the modern
apartment buildings, is the Turkish railway station, where we will
end the tour, unless it is Thursday. On Thursdays, the Bedouin
market operates near the Old City (it is a 20-minute walk or
five-minute drive from the Well of Abraham).
Gal Greenberg
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Mitzpe Beit Eshel
Beit Eshel is a remnant of an abandoned settlement beside
Beersheba, located at the Beit Eshel-Dimona Junction (Tel. (08)
623-3694). It is one of three settlements that were established in
the Negev in 1943 (the other two are Revivim and Gvulot). In
Israel’s War of Independence, the young settlement was besieged by
Egyptian forces and heavily shelled. The defenders held on, but in
the end Beit Eshel was destroyed. When Beersheba was captured by the
Israel Defense Forces, the site was abandoned and its inhabitants
moved to the Jezreel Valley to establish Moshav Hayogev. In 1960, a
small group of residents of Beersheba began to look after the site
on a volunteer basis; they were high school students, soldiers, and
pensioners, who worked very hard to refurbish it. A society was
created for the preservation of the site. The society works to
instill high-school students and others with Zionism, love of the
Land of Israel, and the value of manual labor, encouraging them to
rehabilitate the site and plant vegetation around it. Visitors to
Beit Eshel can get a glimpse of the way life was in the pre-state
years at the site, where remains of buildings and trenches can still
be found.
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Joe Allon Center
The Joe Allon Center in the Lahav Forest beside Kibbutz Lahav
(Tel. (08) 991-8597, (08) 991-3322) presents an extensive exhibit
dealing with Bedouin culture, focusing on such subjects as the
Bedouin in the Negev; the herd and its products; traditional
agriculture; migration; the camel; the fisherman and hunter;
everyday items from Sinai; the heights of Sinai; a sheikh’s tomb;
traditions and customs; and Bedouin art. Audiovisual presentations
are shown at the museum and visitors are hosted in an authentic
Bedouin tent, with coffee and tea and the recounting of legends.
The center also gives guided tours of the area and hosts activities
such as field cooking, the baking of pita bread, a visit to a modern
Bedouin settlement, and crafts workshops. The center also highlights
a network of hiding places from the time of the Bar Kochba revolt,
some of which have been discovered in the area. Multimedia systems
and interactive programs deal with local settlement.
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Cultural Revival in Beersheba
Once a sleepy desert town, Beersheba has woken up in recent
years, mainly thanks to the many students from around the country
who study at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the city’s
colleges. More than a few places of entertainment have opened up to
cater to the city’s new young residents, such as the One Mall, which
is filled with fashionable clothing boutiques.
As for dining, Beersheba's strength is in local soul food and
neighborhood bars like Little India, a vegetarian Indian restaurant
that is designed to look like a Bedouin tent (15 Ringelbloom Street,
Tel. (08) 648-9801, kosher).
There also are the eateries that Beersheba is known for like the
original branch of the Glida Beersheba ice cream parlor (50 Hadama
Street), Felafel Assulin (46 Herzl Street), and Kebab Emuna (58 KKL
Street).
A recent addition to the Beersheba culinary scene is a branch of the
Black Bar 'n Burger chain, whose kitchen is overseen by Israeli
celebrity chef Tzachi Buchester. As one would expect, it serves
excellent burgers and meat entrees in a trendy, fun atmosphere. (52
Nafha Street, One Plaza Compound, Tel. 1-599-555-550, not kosher).
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City of Saints
The many Jews from North Africa and Iraq, who settled in
Beersheba and the surrounding villages in the decade after the
creation of the State of Israel, brought more than a few traditions
with them, including the tradition of venerating saintly rabbis from
Tunis, Morocco, and different parts of Iraq. New rabbis’ courts were
created in the desert town and the graves of saintly rabbis became
pilgrimage sites over the years.
One of the more famous of these sites is the grave of Rabbi Haim
Hori, who immigrated to Israel from Jerba in 1955 and settled in
Beersheba. Hori died two years later and was buried in the Beersheba
cemetery. A festive and colorful pilgrimage to the rabbi’s grave is
held every year on the anniversary of his death (25 of Iyar).
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Itinerary
Day 1: Old City of Beersheba
Tour the Old City of Beersheba, starting at the Memorial to the
Negev Brigade and ending at the old Turkish train station. If time
permits, head over to Beit Eshel on the outskirts of town.
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Day 2: The Negev Coast
Drive north on Route 40 to the Dvir Junction. Take Route 3255 to
the Joe Allon Bedouin Museum. Return to Route 40 and then take Route
35 to Ashkelon. Visit the remains of Roman Ashkelon and bathe at the
Ashkelon Beach. Take Route 4 south and then Route 34 along the
Northern Negev. Stop off at Netivot to visit the graves of the Baba
Sali and Ifragan, two Jewish holy men. Their large tomb sites are
always full of supplicants and the descendants of the two rabbis
hold court at the site on certain days of the week and the Jewish
month.
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Day 3: The Dead Sea
Take Route 60 and then Route 31 to the Dead Sea and drive north
on Route 90 to Masada. Ascend the mountain by cable car and tour the
fortress. Descend by foot and then drive northward to visit the Ein
Gedi National Park. From the entrance to the Nahal David stream,
continue to the entrance to Nahal Arugot. Hike up Nahal Arugot to
the Hidden Waterfall. Descend to the waterfall and then hike back
either along the way that you came or along the riverbed itself
through the small Arugot Canyon. Bring a bathing suit, suitable
walking shoes, a hat, sunglasses, and water.
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Day 4: To the Desert
Take Route 40 to the ancient town of Avdat. Tour the ruins of
this abandoned Nabatean city, and continue to Mitzpe Ramon. At the
traffic circle at the entrance to town, drive to the left along a
dirt road. The sculptures along the road all stand at the edge of
the Ramon Crater. Take a walk along sculptures – and the massive
Ramon cliff (be careful). Return to Mitzpe Ramon and tour the
visitors center before making a quick visit to the alpaca farm. Then
return to Mitzpe Ramon and climb Camel Hill to watch the sun set
over the crater. Take Route 40 back to Beersheba.
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Day 5: Tel Aviv
Take Route 4 north to Tel Aviv. Start in the south by exploring
Jaffa’s flea market. Then take a taste of historic Tel Aviv by
strolling through Neve Tzedek, Rothschild Boulevard, and the
surrounding streets. Take a lunch break at one of the many cafes on
Sheinkin Street and then check out the shops there and along
Dizengoff Street. End the day with dinner and drinks in the
restaurants and bars along Ibn Gabirol Street.
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Day 6: Jerusalem
Take Route 3 to Route 1 and drive to Jerusalem. Enter the Old
City via the Jaffa Gate and visit the Tower of David Museum, whose
main exhibit focuses on the history of Jerusalem. Then walk down
David Street, the main souvenir market, to the first intersection.
Turn left onto Christian Quarter Street and walk to the alley of
Saint Helena that leads down to the Holy Sepulcher. Tour the
assemblage of churches that have been built around the Tomb of Jesus
since the third century. Exit by the small entrance to the courtyard
that leads to the Muristan Market. Walk straight ahead until you
reach the busy market street of Khan e-Zeit. Turn right and walk
down the ancient Crusader markets. (The one nearest you is the
butchers’ market. Walk along the central one which has less freshly
butchered meat hanging on hooks alongside the street.) Once out of
the market, turn left on David Street and make your way round the
corner to Sisileh Street (the Street of the Chain). Walk down the
street to the street turning to the Kotel. Walk down to the Kotel.
After visiting the Kotel, take the Rabbi Yehudah Halevi steps up to
the Jewish Quarter. Make your way through the quarter to Zion Gate,
walk out the gate, turn right, and walk along the outside of the
wall, around the corner and back to the Jaffa Gate. Drive back to
Beersheba on Routes 1 and 3.
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