BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

What Is the Negev?

Home of biblical patriarchs and ancient Judah’s stronghold

Viewing the Negev through an archway at Avdat in the central Negev. Courtesy Nathan Steinmeyer, BAS.

Although not as central to the biblical narrative as areas like the Galilee or the Judean Highlands, the Negev Desert was nevertheless a region of great importance in the history of ancient Israel, Judah, and the Levant. Home to the biblical patriarchs, and a stronghold for the kingdom of Judah, the Negev Desert boasts a rich history related to agriculture, mining, and trade.

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A Desert of Biblical Proportions

Encompassing over half of modern Israel, the Negev is an arid and semi-arid rocky desert between central Israel and the Gulf of Aqaba. Moving from the north to the south, the climate becomes progressively dryer, with its northern reaches enjoying a Mediterranean climate, while its eastern and southern regions receive less than 4 inches of rain per year.

The Negev terrain near Sde Boker, central Negev. Courtesy Nathan Steinmeyer, BAS.

The biblical Negev, however, only encompassed the northern parts of the region and included sites like Arad, Beer-Sheva, and probably Kadesh-Barnea. Beer-Sheva was the region’s chief city in biblical times and was home to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was there that Abraham formed a covenant with King Abimelech (Genesis 21:32) and where both Isaac and Jacob spoke to God (Genesis 26:23–24; 46:1–4). Later, it was into the Negev Desert that Moses sent the 12 spies. During the time of the Judahite monarchy (tenth–sixth centuries BCE), the Negev boasted numerous defensive outposts to guard against encroaching enemies from Moab and Edom. The Negev was also home to significant mining operations, including the mines of Timna, which are some of the oldest copper mines in the world.

Lonely acacia tree in a small wadi in the Timna Valley. Courtesy Nathan Steinmeyer, BAS.

A little smaller than the state of Connecticut, the Negev consists of low, rocky mountains interrupted by seasonal streambeds (wadis) and deep craters. While the northern Negev includes some shrubland, the majority of the Negev is speckled by lonely acacia and pistachio trees, as well as the occasional shrub.

Large male Ibex resting in the Timna Valley. Courtesy Nathan Steinmeyer, BAS.

Wandering the desert are gazelles, ibexes, oryxes, hyenas, wolves, jackals, and even hedgehogs. In antiquity, the region was also home to a large number of Arabian and Asiatic animals, including ostriches, lions, and cheetahs. Until only a few years ago, leopards could still be found in the region.

Byzantine church at the site of Avdat in the central Negev. Courtesy Nathan Steinmeyer, BAS.

The Negev has historically been an important trade route from the Mediterranean to the Arabian Peninsula and the copper mines in the southern Negev and Wadi Aravah. The region flourished at various times due to these trade routes, with the Nabatean kingdom of Petra especially developing many sites within the region. The area continued to flourish in the Roman, Byzantine, and early Islamic periods (c. 37 BCE–1099 CE), as new agricultural and water harvesting methods were developed, allowing larger populations to sustain themselves in the desert’s harsh conditions. Since the medieval period, the area has continued to be inhabited and developed to varying levels.

Map of the Negev Desert. BAS.

Related reading in Bible History Daily

From Christianity to Islam in the Negev

Tel Be’er Sheva, City of the Patriarchs 

Exploring the “Grand Canyon” of Israel

All-Access members, read more in the BAS Library:

Understanding the Nabateans

Rescue in the Biblical Negev

Solomon’s Negev Defense Line Contained Three Fewer Fortresses