The Well of Abraham, Beer Sheva (13 Feb, 2008)

According to the Bible, Abraham dug a well at Beersheba and made a covenant with Abimelech, King of the Philistines (Genesis 21:22-34). The name Beersheba has its origin by this well and by the seven lambs which Abraham set aside as a sign of the alliance (in Hebrew, be'er= well; sheva= oath or seven). You can see two ancient wells here and the one in the middle (protected by black fence) is believed to be dug by Abraham. Although the wells are very old, whether they are the same dug by Abraham is unclear. One can also see an ancient conifer tree near the well which some say is the tamarisk that Abraham planted in Be'er Sheva (Genesis 21:33). One needs to be too optimistic to take that true.