Sometimes you have to see what you have to see, no matter the warning. I was once warned about Stonehenge. The Brits built two major roadways way too close to the location, and then they roped off the landmark so you could only see it from about the distance if a football field. Very disappointing.
And, I was warned about Abraham’s well and the Old City of Be’er Sheva. My host, Avital, said they were not so much to see. Yes, she warned me, but when in Be’er Sheba, it’s what you have to do. Seriously, there is a good chance it would be the only time I ever had the opportunity.
Yep, I was warned.
The mural took longer than expected. As it turned out, I only had one afternoon free to explore the well and the Old City. I was ready to go sight-seeing by noon. Problem was I had no transportation. I probably could have gone by bus if I knew where I was going and spoke the language. I didn’t. So, again, I had no transportation.
Tuesdays were unique in Be’er Sheva (and maybe all Israel, I don’t know). Classes were dismissed early because it was an afternoon for clubs like scouting. There were no sports activities at this time. And, even in the Old City, many shops closed for the afternoon. Regardless of the situation, I had no ride. On Tuesday afternoon, the teachers at the Degani School had staff meetings. Avital was tied up till 3:00 and the museum housing Abraham’s well closed an hour later. As it turned out, my host was tied up with people until 3:40. By the time we were able to escape the campus, I had very little hope left. Be’er Sheva had a population of close to a million people and we were in rush hour traffic.
There was no rushing.
We arrived at 4:02 before the doorstep of the museum. The door was locked. I completely lost hope. But, two women approached the entrance for some kind of meeting taking place in the main foyer. When the women were allowed in, Avital spoke to the woman who granted entrance. I suspected she might have said, “We’ve had this artist from America working at our school this week. This is his last day possible to see the well. Can you give us a few minutes?” Okay, perhaps I sometimes think too highly of myself. She actually said, “How many people really want to see Abraham’s well? Will you let this one enter?”
The door was opened wide.
And, Avital was right all along.
A baby well with a PLASTIC water jug, and then the actual well.
I read that the interior area of the museum area was designed to resemble the interior of a Bedouin tent. It missed the mark. If I had planned the exhibition, I would have had an open-aired space. There would be a few scattered palm trees, certainly a couple camels, and an actual Bedouin tent for ambiance in search of an oasis vibe. There was none of that. The room was huge and circular. Smack dab in the middle was a huge well. According to the Bible, Abraham dug the well 4,000 years ago. Then, there was a dispute over the well between Abraham and Avimelech. The dispute was settled with an oath, Abraham owned the well, and Avimelech returned to the land of the Philistines. The well became known as Be’er Sheva, which in Hebrew means “the well of oath”.
The more I learned, the less I wanted to know. No well dug 4,000 years ago would survive this long. Surveyors of the 19th century investigated the well and found a stone in Arabic dating back to 1112 AD. So, someone dug this hole. Maybe it was Abraham, but it needed restoration and help along the way. The current well is lined with stone. It is twelve feet wide and 42 feet deep. It’s also covered with a grill to prevent anyone from falling in. There is an official tour that takes 45 minutes. We were in and out in less than five.
Avital said that even if we missed the museum, there was a great falafel/shawarma shop nearby in the Old City. It would be a win/win regardless. Once again, my guide was correct. The food was amazing, and the Old City of Be’er Sheva didn’t hold a candle to Jerusalem. At the beginning of the afternoon, I’d planned to explore the place for hours. Most stores were closed and from what I saw, there wasn’t anything that would have captured my attention like the food. I thoroughly loved my shawarma and fries, and then we headed home.
It was a long drive home through the desert. I was always amused by the signs that warned of ibex, camel, and soldiers crossing. Although I saw ibex and soldiers, none of them ever crossed the road. I never saw, hide nor hair nor hump of a camel. Avital tried her best to remedy that. We made a detour to a kind of rental resort where camels could be part of the celebration, if the price was right. Alas, still no hide, hair, nor hump. But, I spied the most perfect looking old well. It was exactly what I imagined when I thought of Abraham’s well. I got the photograph I wanted all along.
Well, the perfect well, and still no ibex crossing the street.