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The Negev Desert- The Beauty of Israel's Southern Region
A stretch of land dominating the majority of Israel ’s southern region, the Negev Desert takes up over half of the state’s size. Bordered by the Sinai Peninsula to the west and the Arabah Valley to the east, the Negev desert enjoys a unique geography unlike that of any other desert region. The Negev’s geographic singularity comes in the form of its Makhteshim—a geographical land-fold or a crater characterized by sturdy walls that surround a sunken valley. Drawing in thousands of visitors each year, Makhtesh Ramon and the “Small” and “Big” Craters as they are commonly called, are a drawing point for those on a family tour to Israel, a Bar Mitzvah tour or a Bat Mitzvah tour.
Of particular interest to those on a Jewish heritage travel is the Negev’s prominence in the Bible. Indeed, the Negev Desert’s name derives from the Hebrew word “dry” and is referred to in the Bible as an arid region wherein, by the will of God, nothing shall grow. The Negev is also used in the Bible to indicate the direction south.
The Bedouins- Inhabitants of the Negev Desert
The Negev Desert’s main inhabitants are the Bedouins, a nomadic tribe believed to have descended from present-day Jordan to the Negev region thousands of years ago. The Bedouins dominate the desert with little interruption from Israeli, Egyptian or Jordanian authorities. Their main form of income, both historically and in the present day, is sheep and goat herding. As centuries went by and living conditions throughout Israel evolved, so did the Bedouin lifestyle. Today most Bedouin tribes no longer practice a nomadic lifestyle, having built permanent settlements which currently house over 175,000 citizens such as Rahat, Tel as-Sabi and Lakiya.
The Bedouins are recognized as Israeli citizens, though their settlements are often regarded as illegal by the state. A sizable part of the Bedouin population in recent years has gone on to serve in the Israeli army, and many more Bedouins have deserted their traditional herding incomes in favor of jobs in the bigger cities throughout the Negev—namely Beersheba.
Hospitality is often regarded as a staple of Bedouin culture and is an experience like no other for those on a travel to Israel. Pre-arranged visits to Bedouin settlements are available year round and will usually consist of a coffee session followed by a meal and entertainment. For those touring Israel for the first time, be prepared to take your shoes at the entrance and sit on a pillowed floor.
BeerSheba - At the Heart of the Negev Desert
The City of Beersheba is the largest in Israel’s southern desert region and is often lovingly called the “Capital of the Negev”. The sixth largest city in Israel, Beersheba is home to several important institutions including Ben-Gurion University and the Soroka Medical Center.
Beersheba’s history dates back as far as the 4 th century BC and was of particular importance in Biblical times wherein it marked the southernmost tip of Palestine. The city was then inhabited and abandoned routinely by the Byzantines and later the Ottomans, but it wasn’t until World War I (1914), when the Turks built a railroad station in Beersheba in hopes of disabling the British from reaching the Suez Canal, that the city gained prominence once again.
The city’s logistic importance was once again realized in the 1950s when the newly independent State of Israel began cultivating it. Today visitors on a tour to Israel will enjoy the massive growth the city has undergone in the past decades and will likely appreciate the influence the surrounding Negev Desert still has on the town.
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