BEEROTHITE (be-e'roth-ite), (Heb. ay-roth-ee', belonging to Beeroth). See BEEROTH. BEERSHEBA ( be'er-she'ba),(Heb. , be ayr-sheh'bah, well of the oath), a place in the southernmost part of Canaan, celebrated for the sojourn of the patriarchs.
It took its name from the well which was dug there by Abraham, and the oath which confirmed his treaty with Abimelech (Gen. xxi It seems to have been a favorite station of that patriarch, and here he planted one of those 'groves' which formed the temples of those re mote times (Gen. xxi :33). A town of some consequence afterwards arose on the spot, and retained the same name. It was first assigned to the tribe of Judah (Josh. xv :28), and afterwards transferred to Simeon (Josh. xix :2), but was still popularly ascribed to Judah (2 Sam. xxiv: 7). As it was the southernmost city of the land, i its name is of frequent occurrence, being pro verbially used in describing the extent of the country, in the phrase 'from Dan (in the north) to Beersheba' (in the south), and reversely, 'from Beersheba unto Dan' (Judg. xx :i; 2 Sam. xvii: it ; t Chron, xxi :2; 2 Chron. xxx :5). When the land was divided into two kingdoms, the extent of that of Judah was in like manner de scribed by the phrase 'from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim' (2 Chron. xix :4). It was at Beer sheba that Samuel established his sons as judges for the southernmost districts (I Sam. viii :2) ; it was from thence that Elijah wandered out into the southern desert (i Kings xix :3) ; here was one of the chief seats of idolatrous worship in the time of lizziah (Amos v :5; viii :14) ; and to this place, among others, the Jews returned after the Captivity (Neh. xi :27. 3o). This is the last
time its name occurs in the Old Testament. In the New Testament it is not once mentioned, and seems to have been forgotten till the fourteenth century.
In later years the site was visited by Dr. Rob inson. Here. on the borders of Palestine, he found the Wady es-Leba, a wide watercourse or bed of a torrent, running \V.S.\V.. upon whose northern side, dose upon the bank, are two deep wells, still called Bir-es-Leba, the ancient Beer sheba. These wells are fifty-five rods apart. They are circular, and stoned up very neatly with masonry, apparently very ancient. The largest of them is feet in diameter, and 4412 feet deep to the surface of the water, sixteen of which, at the bottom, are excavated in the solid rock. The other well is five feet in diameter by twelve feet deep. The water in both is pure and sweet, and in great abundance. Both wells are sur rounded with drinking troughs of stone for camels and flocks, such as were doubtless used of old by the flocks which were fed on the ad jacent hills. No ruins were at first visible; but, on examination, foundations of former dwellings were traced, dispersed loosely over the low "hills, to the north of the wells, and in the hollows between. They seem to have been built chiefly of round stones, although some of the stones are squared and some hewn, suggesting the idea of a small straggling city. The site of the wells is nearly midway between the southern end of the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean at Raphza, or twenty-seven miles southeast from Gaza, and about the same distance south by west from Hebron.