BEER-SHEBA, the Well of an Oath, or the Well of Seven ; because here Abraham made an alliance with Abimelech Genes. xx. 31.King of Gerar, and gave him seven ewelambs, to serve as a monument of that Genes. xxi. 30, 31.Covenant which they had sworn to. Beersheba was at first given by Joshuah to the Tribe of Judah, and afterwards a cession Josh. xv. 28. — xix. 2. 2 Sam. xvii. 11, &c.of it was made to that of Simeon. It was situated twenty miles from Hebron, towards the South, and there was a Roman Garrison there in Eusebius’s and S. Jerom’s time1. The limits of the Holy Land are often expressed in Scripture by these terms, From Dan even unto Beer-sheba. Dan was at the Northern, and Beer-sheba at the Southern extremity of the Land.
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Footnotes
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Euseb. & Hieron. in locis. ↩