Beersheba
Hebrew	בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע
Arabic	بئر السبع
Name meaning	Well of the Oath or Seven Wells(see also)
Government	City
District	South
Population	202,208 (city) 531,000 (metro) (2005)
Jurisdiction	117,500 dunams (54 km²)
Mayor	Yaakov Turner

Beersheba (Hebrew: בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע‎, Be'er Sheva, Arabic: بئر السبع‎, Bi'r as-Sabi (info), Turkish: Birüssebi) is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language The following list of Israeli cities is based on the current index of the There are six main administrative districts of Israel, known in Hebrew as mehozot (מחוזות singular mahoz) and fifteen The South District (מחוז הדרום Mehoz HaDarom) is one of Israel 's six administrative districts, and is the largest in terms of land area as well A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum is a unit of Area used in the Ottoman Empire and still used in various standardized versions Yaakov Turner (יעקב טרנר born 1935 in Kfar Yona) has been the Mayor of Beersheba since 1998. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status The Negev (נֶגֶב Tiberian vocalization: Néḡeḇ) is the Desert region of southern Israel. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it became the sixth largest city in Israel in 2008 when the population reached 202,208. Located in the Southern District of the country, the city is the district's administrative centre and is home to the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the Soroka Medical Center, and the Israel Sinfonietta Beersheba. The South District (מחוז הדרום Mehoz HaDarom) is one of Israel 's six administrative districts, and is the largest in terms of land area as well Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (אוניברסיטת בן גוריון בנגב was founded in 1969, in Beersheba, Israel. Soroka Medical Center is a hospital in Beersheba, Israel. It is the largest medical center in southern region of the country and the second largest in

Beersheba has grown considerably since Israeli independence in 1948; a large portion of the population is made up of Jews who immigrated from Arab countries after 1948, and has been significantly boosted since 1990 by newcomers from Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union. The Israeli Declaration of Independence (הכרזת העצמאות Hakhrazat HaAtzma'ut or מגילת העצמאות Megilat HaAtzma'ut) made on 14 May PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Antisemitism in the Arab world|Islam and Antisemitism The Jewish exodus from Arab lands refers to the 20th century expulsion or mass departure of Jews primarily of Sephardi NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The city is surrounded by a number of satellite towns including the predominantly Jewish Omer, Lehavim and Meitar, and the Bedouin towns of Rahat, Tel as-Sabi and Lakiya. Omer (עֹמֶר is a town ( local council) in the South District of Israel, bordering Beersheba. Lehavim (לְהָבִים is a town in the Southern District of Israel, in the northern Negev desert. Meitar (מֵיתָר is a small local council north-east of Beersheba, in Israel 's Southern District. Rahat (רַהַט رهط is a city in the South District of Israel. Tel Sheva redirects here For the UNESCO World Heritage Site see Tel Be'er Sheva Tel as-Sabi or Tel Sheva (تل السبع תֵּל Lakiya, or Laqye (לקיה is a Bedouin town ( local council) in the Southern District of Israel.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Prehistory and biblical era 2.2 Ottoman Turkish occupation 2.3 British Mandate era 2.4 After Israeli independence 2.5 Beersheba today 3 Geography 3.1 Climate 3.2 Districts 4 Demographics 5 Economy 6 Local government 7 Education 8 Sports 9 Transportation 10 Notable residents 11 Sister cities 12 References 13 See also 14 External links

Etymology

There are several etymologies for the origin of the name "Beersheba":

• The oath of Abraham and Abimelech (well of the oath)
• The seven wells dug by Isaac (seven wells), though only three or four have been identified
• The oath of Isaac and Abimelech (well of the oath)
• The seven ewes that sealed Abraham and Abimelech's oath (well of the seven). Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time

Be'er is the Hebrew word for well; sheva could mean "seven" or "oath" (from the Hebrew word shvu'a).

History

Prehistory and biblical era

From the findings unearthed at Tel Be'er Sheva, an archaeological site a few kilometers northeast of modern day Beersheba, it is believed that the region has been populated since the 4th millennium BC ^[1]. Tel Be'er Sheva (תל באר שבע is an archeological site in southern Israel believed to be the remains of the biblical town of Be'er Sheva. The 4th millennium BC saw major changes in human culture It marks the beginning of the Bronze Age and of Writing. The city was destroyed and rebuilt many times over the centuries. Biblically, the site of Beersheba is mentioned in two of the three Genesis stories involving a wife confused for a sister. It was the site of a non-aggression pact between the Philistines, represented by a king named Abimelech, and the Israelites. The Philistines ( Hebrew פלשתים plishtim) (see "other uses" below were a people who inhabited the southern coast of Canaan, Abimelech or Avimelech ( was a common name of the Philistine kings. The Bible describes the oath being made on two separate occasions by the Israelites, once represented by Abraham, and once by Isaac. See also History of ancient Israel and Judah According to the Bible, the Israelites were the dominant group living in the Land of Israel. Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: According to the Hebrew Bible, Isaac ( Hebrew: Yitzchak יִצְחָק, Standard Yiẓḥaq Beersheba is also mentioned in Joshua 19:2. Joshua, Jehoshuah, or Yehoshua ( 'יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, Tiberian: jə Beersheba was the southernmost city of Israel in Biblical times -hence the expression "from Dan to Beersheba" was sometimes used to describe the whole kingdom. Dan (דן formerly named Laish, is a town mentioned by the Bible, in which it is portrayed as the northernmost town of the Kingdom of Israel, and formerly

Ottoman Turkish occupation

The last inhabitants of Tel Be'er-Sheva were the Byzantines, who abandoned the city in the 7th century. Australian Light Horse were mounted troops with characteristics of both Cavalry and Mounted infantry. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The 7th century is the period from 601 to 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The Turkish Ottomans, who had controlled Palestine since the 16th century, took no interest in Beersheba until the end of the 19th century. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar At the beginning of the 19th century, Beersheba was portrayed by European pilgrims as a barren stretch of land with a well and a handful of Bedouin living nearby. Pilgrims, or Pilgrim Fathers (or Pilgrim Mothers) is a name commonly applied to the early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth The Bedouin, (from the Arabic (ar بدوي pl badū) are a desert-dwelling Arab Nomadic pastoralist, or previously

Towards the end of the 19th century, the Ottomans built a police station in Beersheba in order to keep the Bedouin in check. Police are agents or agencies usually of the executive, empowered to enforce the law and to effect public and social order through the legitimatized use of force They built roads and a number of small buildings from local materials which are still standing today. A town plan was created by a Swiss and a German architect, which called for a grid street pattern,^[2] a pattern which can still be seen today in Beersheba's Old City. The grid plan or gridiron plan is a type of City plan in which Streets run at right angles to each other forming a grid. All houses built during that period were of one storey, and the two-storey police station towered above them. Most of the residents at the time were Arabs from Hebron and the Gaza area, although a slew of Bedouin abandoned their nomadic lives and built homes in Beersheba. ^[3]

During World War I, the Turks built a military railroad from the Hejaz line to Beersheba, inaugurating the station on October 30, 1915. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Railway to Beersheba (מסילת הרכבת לבאר שבע Mesilat HaRakevet LeVe'er Sheva) is the common name for the railroad which currently stretches from central History A railway had been suggested in 1864 to relieve the suffering of the hajis on their forty day journey through the wilderness of Midian the Nafud and the Hejaz Mountains Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year ^[4] The celebration was attended by the Turkish army commander Jamal Pasha, along with senior government officials. The train line was active until the British took over the region. Later, during Israel's War of Independence, the station was used as the headquarters of the Egyptian Army. The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian military establishment.

British Mandate era

Beersheba played an important role in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in World War I. On October 31, 1917, 800 soldiers of the Australian 4th and Light Horse Brigade, under Brigadier General William Grant, with only horses and bayonets, charged the Turkish trenches, overran them and captured the wells of Beersheba. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Australian Light Horse were mounted troops with characteristics of both Cavalry and Mounted infantry. Sir William Grant ( 13 October 1752 &ndash 23 May 1832) was a British lawyer Member of Parliament from 1790–1812 and This is often described as the Battle of Beersheba, and "the last successful cavalry charge in British military history". The Battle of Beersheba took place on 31 October 1917, as part of the Sinai and Palestine campaign during World War I. On the edge of Beersheba's Old City is a Commonwealth cemetery containing the graves of British and Australian soldiers. On the last row on the right, is the grave of Captain Seymour Van den Berg of the Middlesex Hussars, a British Jew who was killed five days before the capture of Beersheba. Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England and the second smallest by area.

Beersheba was a major administrative center during the period of the British Mandate for Palestine. The Palestine Mandate, was a set of protocols or articles that formed a multilateral legal and administrative agreement

In 1928, at the beginning of the tension between the Jews and the Arabs over Palestine and wide-scale rioting which left 133 Jews dead and 339 wounded, many Jews abandoned Beersheba, although some returned occasionally. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. With the Arab attack on a Jewish bus in 1936 which escalated into the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, the remaining Jews left Beersheba and did not return until after the battle with the invading Egyptian army in October, 1948. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine was an uprising during the British mandate by Arabs in Palestine which lasted from 1936 to 1939 October events and holidays Children's Book Week ( England) - First Week of October National Day ( China People's Republic Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

After Israeli independence

The 1947 UN Partition Plan included Beersheba in the territory allotted to the Arab state as the city's population of 4,000 was primarily Arab. The Monument to the Negev Brigade (אנדרטת חטיבת הנגב is a monument designed by Dani Karavan in memory of the members of the Palmach Negev Brigade Dani Karavan (born 1930 in Tel Aviv) is an Israeli sculptor best known for site specific Memorials and Monuments which merge into the The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine or United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 was a plan approved by the General Assembly on November 29 ^[5] The Egyptian Army was stationed in Beersheba in May 1948. The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian military establishment. Convinced that Beersheba was vital for the security of the Jewish state, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion gave the green light for Operation Yoav. Operation Yoav (also called Operation Ten Plagues or Operation Yo'av) was an Israeli military operation carried out from 15 October - 22 On October 21, 1948, at 04:00 in the morning, the 82nd battalion advanced from Mishmar Hanegev junction, 20 kilometers north of Beersheba. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Part of the force attacked from the Turkish train station and part from Hatzerim. By 09:45, the Egyptian forces were surrounded, and Beersheba was in Israeli hands. On November 20, Leonard Bernstein and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra played for the soldiers. Events 284 - Diocletian was chosen as Roman Emperor. 762 - Bögü Khan of the Uyghurs, WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit ha-Yisre'elit ^[6]

In the 1950s, Beersheba expanded northward. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Soroka hospital opened its doors in 1960, and the Negev University, later renamed Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, was established in 1970. Soroka Medical Center is a hospital in Beersheba, Israel. It is the largest medical center in southern region of the country and the second largest in Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In the 1970s, a memorial commemorating the fallen soldiers designed by the sculptor Danny Karavan was erected northeast of the city (approximately 3 kilometers from the city entrance) on a hill overlooking the city. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Dani Karavan (born 1930 in Tel Aviv) is an Israeli sculptor best known for site specific Memorials and Monuments which merge into the ^[7]The Beersheba Theater opened in 1973, and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat visited Beersheba in 1979. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar.

Beersheba today

In the 1990s, the population and size of Beersheba was substantially increased by a large influx of Russian and Ethiopian immigrants. Soroka Medical Center is a hospital in Beersheba, Israel. It is the largest medical center in southern region of the country and the second largest in

For many years, Beersheba remained untouched by Palestinian terrorism. Relations between Jews and Arabs, and especially the large number of Bedouin who live in the region and do business in Beersheba, were good. This equilibrium was shattered on August 31, 2004, when sixteen people were killed in two suicide bombings on buses in Beersheba for which Hamas claimed responsibility. Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة On August 28, 2005, another suicide bomber attacked the central bus station, seriously injuring two security guards and 45 bystanders. Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[8]

Geography

Beersheba is located on the northern edge of the Negev desert 115 km south-east of Tel Aviv and 120 km south-west of Jerusalem. The Negev (נֶגֶב Tiberian vocalization: Néḡeḇ) is the Desert region of southern Israel. Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the The city is located on the main route from the center and north of the country to Eilat in the far south. Eilat (Hebrew אילת should not be confused with the nearby kibbutz of Eilot (Hebrew אילות The Valley of Beer Sheva has been populated since thousands of years ago due to the presence of water which travels here from the Hebron Mountains in the winter and is stored underground in vast quantities. Hebron ( al-Ḫalīl or al-Khalīl, Standard Hebrew: Ḥevron Tiberian Hebrew: Ḥeḇrôn is the largest city in the West Bank, located in the south ^[9] The main river in Beersheba is the Beersheba Stream, a wadi which floods in the winter. Wadi (وادي) (also Vadi) is traditionally a valley In some cases it can refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain The Kovshim and Katef streams are other important wadis which pass through the city.

The tallest buildings in the city are the two towers of the Rambam Square complex. The Rambam Square Towers are a complex of two residential Skyscrapers in the Israeli city of Beersheba. Rambam Square 2 is the tallest apartment building in Israel outside of the Gush Dan Tel Aviv Metropolitan Area. Gush Dan (גּוּשׁ דָּן is a Metropolitan area including areas from both the Tel Aviv and the Central Districts of Israel. ^[10]

Climate

Beersheba has very hot summers, with temperature up to 42 °C (110 °F). In the winter, the temperature at night can be as low as 0 °C (30 °F). The average precipitation in the city is 260 mm a year^[9]

Between summer to winter, Beersheba is prone to sandstorms that cover the whole city in dust. 200-250 tonnes/sqkm of dust are dumped in the area. Fogs and humidity at night are also unique to Beersheba and the Negev region, occurring for some 50% of nights a year and being caused by wet air coming from the sea being trapped under hot, dry air above. The relative humidity in the city reaches 86% through much of August. ^[9]

Districts

Further information: Neighborhoods of Beersheba

Beersheba is divided into seventeen residential neighbourhoods in addition to the Old City and Ramot, an umbrella neighborhood of 4 sub-districts. This article relates to the neighborhoods of the Israeli city of Beersheba Old City As the name suggests the Old City (עיר העתיקה Ir HaAtika) Many of the neighbourhoods are named after letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which also have numerical value, but descriptive place names have been given to some of the newer neighborhoods. The Hebrew alphabet (אָלֶף-בֵּית עִבְרִי alephbet ’ivri) consists of 22 letters used for writing the Hebrew language. The city also has three main industrial zones: Makhteshim, Emek Sara and Kiryat Yehudit - all located in the southeast of the city. An additional light industrial zone is located between Kiryat Yehudit and the Old City.

Demographics

According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Beersheba had a population of 185,400 by the end of 2006,^[11] compared to 110,800 in a survey conducted 20 years earlier. This makes Beersheba the sixth largest city in Israel.

In 2001, the ethnic make-up of the city was 98. 9% Jewish and other non-Arab, with no significant Arab population (see Population groups in Israel). PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding This article discusses the Demographics of Israel. See also Israelis. According to CBS for 2001, there were 86,500 males and 91,400 females living in Beersheba. The population breakdown by age was 31. 8% for 19 years old or younger, 17. 4% for 20-29 year olds, 19. 6% for 30-44 year olds, 15. 8% for 45-59 year olds, 4. 0% for 60-64 year olds, and 11. 4% for 65 years of age or older. The population growth rate in 2001 was 2. 9%. Many people live in Beersheba for short periods of time, e. g. while studying at the university or working at the nearby army bases.

In 1982, Israel evacuated by air a major portion of the Jewish community of Ethiopia. A large number of the community were settled in Beersheba. There are now approximately 10,000 Ethiopian Israelis living in Beersheba, with their own community center built in the 11th (Yud Aleph) Quarter of the city. To remind the members of the villages they left behind, the roof of the community center is a conic shape, much like their old homes.

According to CBS figures, Beersheba had 61,016 salaried workers and 3,010 self-employed citizens in 2000. Salaried workers earned an average monthly wage of 5,223 NIS. The Israeli New Sheqel ( ( sign: ₪; code: ILS) (also spelled unofficially shekel; pl Men earned an average monthly wage of NIS 6,661 (a real change of 5. 2%) compared to NIS 3,760 for females (a real change of 3. 9%). Self-employed persons had an average income of NIS 6,533. A total of 4,719 persons received unemployment benefits, and 26,469 persons received income supplements.

Economy

The largest employers in Beersheba are the municipality, Israel Defence Forces, Ben-Gurion University and the Soroka Medical Center. The Israel Defense Forces ( IDF) (צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, lit Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (אוניברסיטת בן גוריון בנגב was founded in 1969, in Beersheba, Israel. Soroka Medical Center is a hospital in Beersheba, Israel. It is the largest medical center in southern region of the country and the second largest in There are also a number of electronics and chemical plants including Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in and around the city. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (טבע תעשיות פרמצבטיות בע"מ is an international Pharmaceutical company headquartered in Petah Tikva A large high-tech park is also being built near the Beersheba North Railway Station. Be'er Sheva North Railway Station (תחנת הרכבת באר שבע צפון Takhanat HaRakevet Be-er Sheva Tzafon) is an Israel Railways station in Beersheba

Three main industrial zones exist in the city proper, as well as a high-tech zone in adjacent Omer. Omer (עֹמֶר is a town ( local council) in the South District of Israel, bordering Beersheba. A major Israel Aerospace Industries complex is located in the main industrial zone, north of Highway 60. Israel Aerospace Industries ( Hebrew: התעשייה האווירית לישראל ha-ta`aSiyyâh ha-'awîrît lë-yiSrâ'êl) or IAI (תע"א ta`a' Route 60 (כביש 60 is a north-south intercity road in Israel and the West Bank that stretches from Beersheba to Nazareth.

Local government

The current mayor of Beersheba is Yaakov Turner, and the deputy-mayors are David Bunfeld and Rubik Danilovitch. Yaakov Turner (יעקב טרנר born 1935 in Kfar Yona) has been the Mayor of Beersheba since 1998. Sima Navon and Yitzhak Marciano are vice-mayors. Past mayors include David Tuviyahu, Zeev Zrizi, Eliyahu Navi, Moshe Zilberman, Yitzhak Rager and David Bunfeld. David Tuviyahu (דוד טוביהו 1898 – 1975 was the first Mayor of the Israeli city of Beersheba. Ze'ev Zrizi (זאב זריזי born 1916 in Poland) was the second Mayor of the Israeli city of Beersheba. Eliyahu Navi (אליהו נאווי born 1920 has been a Judge, Lawyer, Poet, Politician, Bible investigator and Mayor Yitzhak "Ijo" Rager (יצחק "איז'ו" רגר born 1932 died 1997 was an Israeli journalist diplomat and a Likud Mayor of

The Beersheba municipality was plagued for many years by an ineffectual leadership, political problems and poor financial planning. In the last few years, the situation has improved only slightly and has been hampered by a workforce suffering from apathy. Since 2005, attention has been focused on developing parks and infrastructure. A new youth centre opened in 2005, and a new cultural centre is slated to open in 2007. Parts of the Old City are being renovated, and after many years of financial struggle,the municipality has achieved a balanced budget. ^[12]

The official emblem of the municipality of Beer Sheva depicts an eshel (tamarisk tree), the tree that Abraham planted^[13], and the observation tower connected to the municipality building.

Education

According to CBS, Beersheba has 81 schools and a student population of 33,623: 60 elementary schools with an enrollment of 17,211, and 39 high schools with an enrollment of 16,412. Of Beersheba's 12th graders, 52. 7% earned a Bagrut matriculation certificate in 2001. The Te'udat Bagrut, also written Te'udat Bagroot, (תעודת בגרות lit The city also has several private schools and Yeshivot which cater to the religious sector. Yeshiva or yeshivah (jəʃi'və ( Hebrew: ישיבה "sitting (n In terms of higher education, Beersheba is home to one of Israel's major universities, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, which is located on an urban campus in the city. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (אוניברסיטת בן גוריון בנגב was founded in 1969, in Beersheba, Israel. Several local colleges also operate in the city, including the Kaye Academic College of Education, the Sami Shamoon Academic College of Engineering and the Practical Engineering College of Beersheba. Kaye Academic College of Education ( Heb. המכללה האקדמית לחינוך ע"ש קיי) a leading training College located in Beersheba Also in the city is a Government college (מגללה למנהל), a technical college, and an art and performance college. Furthermore, the Israeli Airforce (Techni) is located in the city. The Israeli Air Force ( IAF; Hebrew: זרוע האויר והחלל Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, "Air and Space Arm" commonly known as חיל

Sports

The two most popular sports in Beersheba are football and freestyle wrestling. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Freestyle wrestling is a style of Amateur wrestling that is practiced throughout the world Hapoel Be'er Sheva is the city's most popular football club, and currently plays in Liga Leumit, the second tier of Israeli football. Hapoel Be'er Sheva ( עמותת הפועל באר שבע, Amutat Hapoel Be'er Sheva) are an Israeli football club from the southern Israeli Structure There are 12 clubs in the Liga Leumit Each team plays thirty three rounds of matches as determined by the Israel Football Association and is awarded three points Football (כדורגל Kaduregel) is the unofficial national sport of Israel. The club has twice won the Israeli championship (1975 and 1976), and picked up the State Cup once (1997). The State Cup (גביע המדינה Gvia HaMedina) is the second most important tournament in Israeli football after Ligat ha'Al the top division Two other clubs from the city, Maccabi Be'er Sheva (based in Neve Noy) and Beitar Avraham Be'er Sheva (based in the north of Dalet), have previously played at the second level, but today play in the lower reaches of the league system. Maccabi Be'er Sheva FC (מכבי באר שבע is an Israeli football team based in Beersheba. This article relates to the neighborhoods of the Israeli city of Beersheba Old City As the name suggests the Old City (עיר העתיקה Ir HaAtika) This article relates to the neighborhoods of the Israeli city of Beersheba Old City As the name suggests the Old City (עיר העתיקה Ir HaAtika) The Israeli football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in Israel. Hapoel play at the Vasermil Stadium, a 14,000-capacity concrete bowl located in the Bet neighbourhood. The Arthur Vasermil Municipal Stadium, commonly known as the Vasermil Stadium, is a multi-use Stadium in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba This article relates to the neighborhoods of the Israeli city of Beersheba Old City As the name suggests the Old City (עיר העתיקה Ir HaAtika) The stadium was also used by Maccabi during their spell in Liga Leumit.

The city has the second biggest wrestling center (AMI wrestling school) in Israel. Wrestling is the act of physical engagement between two people in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over or control of the opponent The center is run by Leonid Shulman and has approximately 2,000 students most of whom are from Russian immigrant families since the origins of the club are in the Nahal Beka integration camp. This article relates to the neighborhoods of the Israeli city of Beersheba Old City As the name suggests the Old City (עיר העתיקה Ir HaAtika) Maccabi Be'er Sheva has a freestyle wrestling team, whilst Hapoel Be'er Sheva has a Greek-Romi wrestling team.

Beersheba is also Israel's leading chess center. Chess is a recreational and competitive Game played between two players. The local chess club has won many cups and national championships. It has represented Israel in the European Cup and hosted the World teams championship in 2005. The chess club was founded in 1973 by Eliyahu Levant, who is still the driving spirit behind this club. Beersheba has a higher percentage of grandmasters than any other city worldwide with 8, many of whom are immigrants from the former Soviet Union; the city of 185,500 has one grandmaster per 23,188 residents. The title Grandmaster is awarded to extremely strong Chess masters by the world chess organization FIDE.

Cricket (introduced by the British in the 1960s) is played in the city under the auspices of Israeli Cricket Association, whilst the city is also home to The Camels-ASA Beersheba rugby team whose senior and youth squads have won several national titles (including the recent Senior National League 2004-2005 championship). Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Wrestling, tennis and gliding are also popular sports. Wrestling is the act of physical engagement between two people in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over or control of the opponent Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Beersheba's tennis center, which opened in 1991, features eight lighted courts, and the Be'er Sheva (Teyman) airfield is used for gliding. Gliding is a Recreational activity and competitive Sport in which pilots fly un-powered aircraft known as Gliders or sailplanes

Transportation

Beersheba is the central transportational hub of southern Israel, served by roads, railways and air. Be'er Sheva Center (Merkaz Railway Station is an Israel Railways terminal in Be'er Sheva on the main intercity line from Nahariya Its central bus/train station area is one of the most crowded terminals in the country. The city is also served by the Tayman (Yemen) Airfield.

Beersheba is connected to Tel Aviv via Highway 40, the second longest highway in Israel, which passes to the east of the city and is called the Beersheba bypass because it allows travellers from the north to go to southern locations, avoiding the more congested city center. Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel Highway 40 (כביש 40 is a north-south intercity road in Israel. From west to east, the city is divided by Highway 25, connected it with Ashkelon and the Gaza Strip to the northwest, and Dimona to the east. Highway 25 is a rural highway in southern Israel. It begins northwest of Nahal Oz at the border with the Gaza Strip, and it passes through Netivot Ashkelon (אַשְׁקְלוֹן ٲشكلون also عسقلان; Latin: Ascalon; Akkadian: Isqalluna is a coastal city in southern The Gaza Strip (قطاع غزة, רצועת עזה Retzu'at 'Azza) is a coastal strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Egypt on the south-west Dimona (דִּימוֹנָה is an Israeli city in the Negev desert to the south of Beersheba and west of the Dead Sea above the Finally, Highway 60 connects Beersheba with Jerusalem and the Shoket Junction, and goes through the West Bank. Route 60 (כביש 60 is a north-south intercity road in Israel and the West Bank that stretches from Beersheba to Nazareth. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the The West Bank (الضفة الغربية, הגדה המערבית Hagadah Hamaaravit) also referred to in Israel as " Judea and Samaria On the local level, a partial ring road surrounds the city from the north and east, and Road 406 (Reger Blvd. ) goes through the city center from north to south.

Metrodan Beersheba, established in 2003, has a fleet of 90 buses and operates 19 lines in the city, most of which depart from the Beersheba Central Bus Station. Metrodan Beersheba Ltd (מטרודן באר שבע בע"ם is an Israeli bus company ^[14] These lines were formerly operated by the Egged Bus Cooperative. Egged Israel Transport Cooperative Society Ltd (אגד is the largest Bus company in Israel, and the second largest in the world (after London Buses Inter-city buses to and from Beersheba are operated by Egged, Egged Ta'avura and the Metropoline company. Metropoline is an Israeli bus company which provides bus routes from Beersheba to Tel Aviv and other destinations mainly in the Southern District

Israel Railways operates two stations in Beersheba: Be'er Sheva North and Be'er Sheva Central railway station, on the old Railway to Beersheba. Israel Railways (רכבת ישראל Rakévet Yisra'él) is Israel 's government-owned national railway company and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban Be'er Sheva North Railway Station (תחנת הרכבת באר שבע צפון Takhanat HaRakevet Be-er Sheva Tzafon) is an Israel Railways station in Beersheba Be'er Sheva Center (Merkaz Railway Station is an Israel Railways terminal in Be'er Sheva on the main intercity line from Nahariya The Railway to Beersheba (מסילת הרכבת לבאר שבע Mesilat HaRakevet LeVe'er Sheva) is the common name for the railroad which currently stretches from central Between the two stations, the railway splits into two, and also continues to Dimona and the Dead Sea factories. An extension is planned to Eilat^[15] and Arad. Eilat (Hebrew אילת should not be confused with the nearby kibbutz of Eilot (Hebrew אילות Arad (עֲרָד عراض is a city in the South District of Israel, on the border of the Negev and Judean Deserts Located west of the The railway line to Beersheba uses the slow single-track configuration, and is being converted to dual-track, a project expected to end in Q4 2009 and significantly decrease travel time from Tel Aviv and Haifa to Beersheba, at a cost of NIS 1,885 million. The Israeli New Sheqel ( ( sign: ₪; code: ILS) (also spelled unofficially shekel; pl ^[16]

Notable residents

• Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut
• Tzvika Hadar, comedian and show host
• Yehudit Ravitz, singer
• Zehava Ben, singer
• Avishay Braverman, professor and politician

Sister cities

References

See also

• Battle of Beersheba (First World War)
• Beer Sheva Park, Seattle

External links

• Beersheba Municipality website (Hebrew)
• selection of photos from Beer-Sheva from flickr
• Beer-Sheva website (Russian)
• Ben-Gurion University
• Soroka University Medical Centre (Hebrew)
• Beersheba Theatre (Hebrew)
• Hapoel Beersheba Football Club (Hebrew)
• The city of Beersheba: a tourist's guide
• Beer-Sheva - Historical article from the Catholic Encyclopaedia
• Central Bureau of Statistics
• Light Horse charges again Article written by Martin Chulov, published in The Australian, November 1, 2007, the descendants of the Australian light-horsemen rode into the centre of Beersheva, re-enacting the gallant gallop of October 31, 1917
• Israel Builds Article written by Leonard Downie, Jr. The Battle of Beersheba took place on 31 October 1917, as part of the Sinai and Palestine campaign during World War I. Beer Sheva Park is a small Park located on Lake Washington in the Rainier Beach Neighborhood of Seattle Washington. Flickr is an image and video hosting Website, Web services suite and Online community platform The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia , December, 1971, about the expansion and the architecture of towns like Beersheva in the late 1960s and early 1970s

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