3. Be’er Sheva
Famed in the Old Testament as the city of the Patriarchs, Be’er Sheva has developed within a few decades into the «capital of the Negev» and one of the largest cities in Israel.
The earliest settlement in the area (Tel Sheva) lies four kilometers northeast of the modern town and is the main highlight of a visit to Be’er Sheva.
Once the town of Beersheba, mentioned in the Bible, Tel Sheva has remains of underground dwellings, defensive walls, cisterns, and water channels dating through several settlement periods.
4. Museum of Bedouin Culture
This museum, dedicated to local Bedouin culture, has an intriguing and interesting ethnographic collection that includes exhibits of clothing, other textiles, domestic and agricultural equipment, silver jewelry, and various other everyday objects.
The exhibits are well presented and provide a good introduction to the art and culture of the various Bedouin tribes of the Negev, who have called this desert home for centuries.
Anyone who is interested in nomadic cultures and concerned with how this culture is dying out due to forced settlement should definitely pop in for a visit.
Location: Kibbutz Lahav, Joe Alon Centre, 20 kilometers northeast of Be’er Sheva
