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Be'er Sheva (Israel)

Iriyat Be'er Sheva, Municipality of Be'er Sheva

image by Dov Gutterman |

Emblem adopted 20th December 1973

Description
Desk Table Variant
Coat of Arms

See also:

Description

Be'er Sheva, nicknamed Capital of the Negev, is the central city of the South District. Situated in the North Negev, Be'er Sheva (meaning the seventh well) was built by our father Abraham and already mentioned in Genesis (Bereshit) book. Renewed in 1900 and got 185'000 inh. Its flag is an emblem on national background, probably in vertical hoisting too. Mrs. Avishag Avtubi, city general manager, wrote me:

The current emblem replaced in the early 1970s the previous emblem which was designed by the late newspaperman Mr. Avraham Halili, one of Be'er Sheva's founders. The new emblem was designed by the graphician Mr. Hezi Mor, who won a contest which was organized in the late 1960s.

In an attached paper issued by the Tourism and Information Department, there is an explanation about the symbol (my translation):

In the symbol there is the Eshel (Tamarisk) tree which grows in the region, as reminder of our father Abraham who welcomed his guests in the shadow of the tamarisk tree. The tree is drawn in the symbol as lifting bricks as a symbol to the building and developement of the city. In the symbol there are twelve pillars and a tower, symbolizumg the twelve tribes of Israel and the idea of gathering of the exiles of Israel tribes which gathered and came to the city from all around the globe.

The municipal emblem was published in the official gazette (Rashumot, Yalkut ha-Pirsumim), YP 1970, 20 December 1973.
Sources: letter from Mrs. Avishag Avtubi, city general manager, 11 September 2001; desk flag; this website [retrieved without images].

Dov Gutterman, 5 October 2001

The exact source for the quote on the flag – "Vayita eshel beveer sheva ..." i.e. "And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beer Sheva ..." – is the first part of Genesis 21:33.
Lewis A. Nowitz, 6 October 2001

The information I sent earlier was partially incorrect. The desk flag is indeed as described but, as seen today on TV, the regular flag is light blue with blue emblem.
Dov Gutterman, 26 February 2002

Photo of the correct flag at www.boker.org.il [retrieved] (flag on left).
At www.beer-sheva.muni.il, one can see the new and old emblems [retrieved with new emblem only]. The explanation of the new emblem is the same as in above. It was designed in 1972.
The old emblem included also a Tamarisk together with water line and plant with chimney was designed in 1950 by the late Avraham Halili.
Dov Gutterman, 9 April 2005

From the history of Be'er Sheva
From the municipal website (in Hebrew [retrieved]):

Be'er Sheva, the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area, is one of the cities with an impressive and ancient historical heritage. For thousands of years, the city has experienced upheavals, new settlements, wars and battles, yet it has maintained its status as a key city in the south and continues to develop and grow, establishing itself as Israel's capital of opportunity.

Be'er Sheva in the Bible
"Therefore he called that place Be'er Sheva, because there the two of them swore an oath" (Genesis 21:31). The name Be'er Sheva is derived from the Bible, from the time of our forefather Abraham. In the Book of Genesis, it is written that Abraham gave seven sheep to Abimelech, King of Gerar, in exchange for a well he had dug in the area, and made a covenant with him. Hence, the place was called Be'er Sheva. Apart from the Book of Genesis, Be'er Sheva is also mentioned in the Book of Joshua as one of the main cities belonging to the tribe of Simeon.

The Old City
The Old City is the only city built by the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the Land of Israel for some 400 years. The city's location was chosen on the border of the three major Bedouin tribes in the Negev (Azazma, Zurba and Mahmadin). Furthermore, this location had a high water table, which made it relatively easy to supply the settlement with water. Construction of the city began in 1900. First, a two-storey police station was erected with the aim of establishing better control, reducing acts of robbery and preventing disputes amongst the region's inhabitants. The new town was named Be'er Sheva and was established on the northern bank of the Be'er Sheva Stream. [...]

The Old City during the First World War, 1914
During the First World War, the city became an important military and logistical centre, and its population quadrupled. The first airport in the Land of Israel was established nearby. Furthermore, on 30 October 1915, after nine months of construction, the railway station was inaugurated, connecting the city via the "Southern Railway" to Lod and subsequently linking up with the Hejaz Railway. [...]

The British capture of the city
On 31 October 1917, the city was captured by General Allenby's British forces following repeated failures to break through the Ottoman line in the Gaza area. The Australian Light Horse distinguished themselves in the battle, which is regarded as the last and greatest cavalry battle in history. [...] Following the capture of Rafah in 1918, the British built a standard-gauge railway line from Rafah to Beersheba, which was opened in May of that year. By the end of the First World War, Beersheba was connected by two railway lines: one to Lod and the other to Rafah, and from there southwards to Egypt and northwards to Lod and Haifa. [...]

The Liberation of the City – The War of Independence During the Egyptian army's invasion of Palestine in the War of Independence, two battalions of the Muslim Brotherhood took control of the city on 19 May 1948; some of them remained in the city, whilst others continued via Hebron towards Jerusalem. As part of Operation Moses, which was part of Operation Yoav, the commander of the Southern Front, Major-General Yigal Allon, entrusted the capture of the city to the Negev Brigade under the command of Nahum Sarig. IDF forces liberated Beersheba on 22 October 1948.
The military operation is commemorated at the Negev Brigade Memorial, located in the north of the city near the Ramot neighbourhood.
(Translated with DeepL.com)

Desk Table Variant

image by Dov Gutterman |

Coat of Arms

(source, source)

♦ Stamp issued on 2.2.1966

From Hebrew Wikipedia:

The coat of arms of Be'er Sheva was designed in 1972 by Hezi Mor. The coat of arms features a tamarisk tree, symbolising the city's construction and development. The tree is depicted growing above the Be'er Sheva Town Hall, represented by twelve columns, which symbolise the twelve tribes of Israel and embody the idea of the gathering of the exiles in the city. To the right of the tree stands the tower of the town hall, which resembles hands clasping the tree; these symbolise the idea of the unification of the exiles. At the bottom of the coat of arms appears the verse:
"And he planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba."
– Genesis 21:33
(Translated with DeepL.com)

Previous Version (1950–1972)

(source [retrieved])

From Hebrew Wikipedia:

The city's previous coat of arms was adopted when it was founded in 1950, and featured a tamarisk tree symbolising the Negev, a water pipe bringing life to the area, and a factory with a chimney in the background, representing the establishment of the industrial estate in Be'er Sheva. The emblem was designed by Avraham Halili, an honoured citizen of Be’er Sheva and the city's first journalist. In 1965, the Israel Post issued a stamp featuring the city's coat of arms, designed by Maxim and Gabriel Shamir, as part of the "City Coats of Arms A 1965–1967" series, with a face value of 0.08 Israeli lira.
(Translated with DeepL.com)

Coat of Arms

(source)

From Hebrew Wikipedia:

In 2012, following in the footsteps of Tel Aviv, Haifa and other cities in Israel and around the world, Be’er Sheva adopted a modern logo designed to brand the city and position it as a leading centre in the fields of culture and the arts, business entrepreneurship and tourism. The strategic initiative was carried out by the firm ‘Shir-Shpitzer’, whilst the branding itself was handled by ‘Studio Neumann’. The new logo consists of the text ‘Be’er Sheva, Israel’s Capital of Opportunities’. The letter ‘R’ in the word ‘Be’er’ is designed to resemble the number 7 and is formed from a four-colour mosaic. Alongside this text appears a geometric pattern featuring seven colours, which represent:
Leisure, entertainment and sport – yellow;
tourism – orange;
research and technology – grey;
housing and property – purple;
transport, development and the environment – light green;
education and higher education – light blue;
business entrepreneurship – red.
(Translated with DeepL.com)