Beersheba has grown considerably since Israel's independence.

Beersheba is home to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. This city also serves as a center for Israel's
high-tech and developing technology industry. The Biblical site of Beersheba is Tel Be'er Sheva, lying
some 4 km distant from the modern city, which was established at the start of the 20th century by the
Ottoman Turks.

There are several etymologies of the name "Beersheba". The oath of Abraham and Abimelech
(well of the oath) is the one stated in Genesis 21:31. Others include the seven wells dug by Isaac
(seven wells) though only three or four have been identified; the oath of Isaac and Abimelech
(well of the oath in Genesis 26:33); the seven lambs that sealed Abraham and Abimelech's oath
(well of the seven).

Be'er is the Hebrew word for well; sheva could mean "seven" or "oath" (from the Hebrew word
shvu'a).

The Arabic toponym can also be translated as "seven wells" or, as more commonly believed,
"lion's well".

During Ottoman administration the city was referred as ‫( بلدية بءرالسبع‬Belediye Birüsseb').

Tel Sheva, an archaeological site containing the ruins of an ancient town believed to have been the
Biblical Beersheba, lies a few kilometers east of the modern city. The town dates to the early Israelite
period, around the 10th century BCE. The site was probably chosen due to the abundance of water, as
evidenced by the numerous wells in the area. According to the Hebrew Bible, the wells were dug by
Abraham and Isaac when they arrived there. The streets were laid out in a grid, with separate areas for
administrative, commercial, military, and residential use. It is believed to have been the first planned
settlement in the region, and is also noteworthy for its elaborate water system; in particular, a huge
cistern carved out of the rock beneath the town.

The present-day city was built to serve as an administrative center by the Ottoman administration for
the benefit of the Bedouin at the outset of the 20th century and was given the name of Bir al-Sabi (well
of the seven). Until World War I, it was an overwhelmingly Muslim township, with some 1,000 residents.
[17]
Ben-David and Kressel have argued that the Bedouin traditional market was the cornerstone for the
founding of Beersheba as capital of the Negev during this period.