Beersheba

Beersheba (Offeecially Be'er Sheva; Hebrew: בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע‬, Greek: Βηρσαβεε; Laitin: Bersabee; Arabic: بئر السبع‎, Bi'r as-Sab` ; Turkis: Birüssebi) is the lairgest ceety in the Negev desert o soothren Israel. Aften referred tae as the "Caipital o the Negev", it is the seivent-lairgest ceety in Israel wi a population o 203,604. Beersheba grew in importance in the 19t century, when the Ottoman Turks biggit a regional polis station thare. The Battle o Beersheba wis pairt o a wider Breetish offensive in Warld War I aimed at breakin the Turkish defensive line frae Gaza tae Beersheba. In 1947, Bir Seb'a (Arabic: بيئر شيبع‎), as it wis kent, wis envisioned as pairt o the Arab state in the Unitit Naitions Partition Plan for Palestine. When the Arabs rejectit the Unitit Naitions resolution declarin Israel an independent state, the Egyptian airmy amassed its forces in Beersheba as a strategic an logistical base. In October 1948, the ceety wis conquered bi the Israel Defense Forces. Beersheba haes grown considerably syne then. A lairge portion o the population is made up o Jews who immigratit frae Arab kintras efter 1948, an haes been significantly boostit syne 1990 bi immigrants frae Ethiopie an the umwhile Soviet Union. Wi the influx o Roushie immigrants, chess became a major sport in Beersheba. The ceety is nou Israel's naitional chess center, hame tae mair chess grandmaisters than ony ceety in the warld. Etymology Thare are several etymologies for the oreegin o the name "Beersheba": The oath o Abraham an Abimelech (well o the oath) The seiven wells dug bi Isaac (seiven wells), tho anerlie three or fower hae been identified The oath o Isaac an Abimelech (well o the oath) The seiven ewes that sealed Abraham an Abimelech's oath (well o the seiven). Be'er is the Hebrew wird for well; sheva coud mean "seiven" or "oath" (frae the Hebrew wird shvu'a). Twin touns — Sister ceeties The follaein are ceeties an towns wi which Beersheba haes a toun twinnin agreement: References