Beersheba

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Beersheba ( beer-SHEE-bə), officially Be'er-Sheva ( bair-SHEV-ə), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the centre of the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in Israel, the eighth-most populous Israeli city with a population of 223,587, and the second-largest city in the area (after Jerusalem), with a total area of 117,500 dunams (117.5 square kilometres). Human habitation near present-day Beersheba dates back to the fourth millennium BC. In the Bible, Beersheba marks the southern boundary of ancient Israel, as mentioned in the phrase "From Dan to Beersheba." Initially assigned to the Tribe of Judah, Beersheba was later reassigned to Simeon. During the monarchic era, it functioned as a royal city but eventually faced destruction at the hands of the Assyrians. The Biblical site of Beersheba is Tel Be'er Sheva, lying some 4 kilometres (2+1⁄2 miles) distant from the modern city, which was established at the start...

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