Beersheba
A place in the Bible
A city in the south of Canaan, at the edge of the desert. In the Douay-Rheims it is called “Bersabee.”
What happened here
- Hagar and Ishmael: Abraham sent Hagar away with her son, and she wandered lost in the wilderness of Beersheba.
- Isaac: in Beersheba the Lord appeared to him at night and told him not to be afraid, because he was with him.
- Jacob: he left Beersheba on the way to Haran.
- Elijah: Queen Jezebel threatened the prophet with death. Elijah fled, came to Beersheba, and left his servant there.
Today
It was at the far south of the country. Today the city of Beersheba, in southern Israel, bears its name.
Where it appears in the Bible
Genesis 21:14; Genesis 26:23-24; Genesis 28:10; 1 Kings 19:2-3
What the Bible says
Genesis 21:14
So Abraham rose up in the morning, and taking bread and a bottle of water, put it upon her shoulder, and delivered the boy, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Bersabee.
Genesis 26:23-24
23And he went up from that place to Bersabee, 24Where the Lord appeared to him that same night, saying: I am the God of Abraham thy father; do not fear, for I am with thee: I will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.
Genesis 28:10
But Jacob being departed from Bersabee, went on to Haran.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “Bersabee”