Scholars have for a long time wondered about the meaning of the name 'Beersheba'. It has traditionally been thought to mean 'Well of Seven' or 'Well of the Oath'. However, as we shall see, there are serious problems with these hypotheses. There is, however, a better explanation. Let me explain.
We know that Beersheba was settled originally because it provided a watering source for a small population. However, what was that water source? It has been thought that it was simply a natural water spring. However, if we think about the term באר, which is often translated 'well', we start to see a link with another type of 'water', namely 'beer'. In fact, the modern term 'beer' is probably a derivation from the Hebrew term באר. The vocalisation into two syllables in Hebrew may have been the result of Hurrian influence in the area (see below). It is just possible, therefore, that Beersheba was the site of an ancient pub or tavern that served beer, rather than simply the site of a well. But this then raises the question of the 'sheba' element in 'BeerSHEBA'. Scholars have noted that the ayin (ע) at the end of the word suggests the root שׁבע, which can mean to take on oath, or the number seven. However, there are not seven wells here, so that theory should be discounted. But what, then, is the reference to an oath? Scholars often point to the narrative in Gen 21.31, which sees an oath being sworn at 'Beersheba'. However, given that this occurs in the vicinity of the Wilderness of Paran, which clearly means 'dense forest', that incident must have happened in Lebanon somewhere, where more trees do grow. Therefore, it inconceivable that any oath was made at Beersheba. So, what, then does the element שׁבע refer to? The site of Beersheba lies sort of on the trade route to southern Arabia where the kingdom of Sheba was located. Sheba is usually spelled שׁבא with an aleph. However, if the element שׁבע in the name באר שׁבע is a reference to the kingdom of Sheba, then the shift from aleph (א) to the more deeply guttural ayin (ע) can be explained. If Beersheba was the site of a pub or tavern, and we know that Beersheba had a road leading to it from the south, then it's possible that beer brewed in Sheba was brought to the pub. Beer brought from such an exotic location would no doubt have made Beersheba famous, attracting even Hurrians, who were known for drinking themselves silly with fermented drinks. After all, Sheba was too far for them to travel to drink the beer in Sheba itself. Beersheba would have been a far more attractive location because of its geographical proximity (relatively speaking) to the Hurrian heartland. It is, therefore, plausible to suggest that many of the patrons of the pub in Beersheba were Hurrians who frequently became drunk. And in a drunken state, perhaps even with incipient vomiting occurring, a shift from a passive glottal stop aleph (א) to the more deep uvular guttural ayin (ע) occurred as Hurrians praised the 'Beer of Sheba'. This pronunciation evidently crystallised and remained permanent. This would explain the shift from באר שׁבא to באר שׁבע. This also means that trade contact between Palestine and southern Arabia was occurring at a very early stage, at least before the patriarchal era. I know this sounds a little far fetched, but it sounded really good to me when I thought of it. I'm going to let it ferment a little and see what happens. GEORGE ATHAS Moore Theological College (Sydney, Australia) www.moore.edu.au _______________________________________________ b-hebrew mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-hebrew
