In February–March 2016, an excavation was conducted at the municipal garage complex on Recha Freier Street in Be’er Sheva‘ (Permit No. A-7636; map ref. 181148-373/572548-671; Fig. 1), prior to construction. The excavation, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and financed by the Be’er Sheva‘ Economic Development Company, was directed by O. Shmueli and A. Rasiuk (field photography), with the assistance of Y. Al-‘Amor (administration), Y. Huster (registration), A. Fraiberg (field photography), A. Hajian and M. Kunin (surveying), I. Delerson (drafting), C. Hersch (pottery drawing), M. Balila and H. Mamilia.
The outlines of 31 cist graves oriented along a southeast–northwest axis were exposed. The graves were arranged in two rows, at a uniform level, and were generally well-preserved. In one uneven row, some of the graves were out of line. There were probably other graves east of those that were exposed, but the area was destroyed during earthmoving work when it was used by the Be’er Sheva‘ municipality garage. The excavation revealed that the cemetery extended to the north of the excavation area as well. The graves were large (ext. dimensions c. 0.6 × 2.0 m) and were apparently used to inter adults and adolescents, as well as children (ext. dimensions c. 0.6 × 1.3 m). All the graves were built of roughly hewn chalk slabs except for one, constructed with kurkar slabs (L101; Fig. 3). The graves were built in a shaft dug in the loess to a depth of c. 2 m. The bottom of the grave was not lined, and its walls were built of upright stone slabs. Several covering slabs were placed over the graves. About half of the graves were found without any covering stones, and only five of them were found sealed with all their covering stones in place (L106, L117, L118, L119, L128; Figs. 4, 5). The graves were not excavated.
The only artifact found in the excavation is a Gaza jar buried upside down (L125; Fig. 6).
Table 1. The graves
Grave
|
Dimensions (m)
|
Fig.
|
101
|
0.50 × 1.25
|
3
|
102
|
0.7 × 1.5
|
|
103
|
0.7 × 1.8
|
|
104
|
0.6 × 1.5
|
|
105
|
0.6 × 2.0
|
|
106
|
0.7 × 2.0
|
|
107
|
0.75 × 2.00
|
|
108
|
0.6 × 1.7
|
|
109
|
0.50 × 1.25
|
|
110
|
0.65 × 1.90
|
|
111
|
0.6 × 2.0
|
|
112
|
0.65 × 1.80
|
4
|
113
|
0.7 × 2.0
|
|
114
|
0.65 × 2.00
|
|
115
|
0.65 × 2.00
|
|
116
|
0.65 × 1.10
|
|
117
|
0.70 × 1.55
|
|
118
|
0.7 × 2.0
|
5
|
119
|
0.7 × 2.0
|
|
120
|
0.65 × 2.00
|
|
121
|
0.60 × 1.45
|
|
122
|
0.7 × 1.9
|
|
123
|
0.8 × 1.9
|
|
124
|
0.7 × 1.3
|
|
126
|
0.7 × 1.8
|
|
127
|
0.60 × 1.35
|
|
128
|
0.7 × 1.7
|
|
129
|
0.7 × 1.7
|
|
130
|
0.7 × 1.7
|
|
131
|
0.8 × 2.0
|
|
132
|
0.7 × 1.7
|
|
The excavation revealed part of a cemetery used by residents of Be’er Sheva‘ during the Byzantine period. The burials were arranged in rows. The existence of both small and large graves probably indicates that children were interred alongside adults. Apparently, some of the covering stones were plundered in the past.
Abadi-Reiss Y. and Eisenberg-Degen D. 2013.
Be’er Sheva‘, Balfour Street. HA-ESI 125.
Gil‘ad Y. and Fabian P. 2008. 7,000 Years of Settlement: The Archaeological Remains in Be’er Sheva‘ from the Sixth Millennium BCE until the End of the First Millennium CE. In Y. Gradus and E. Meir-Glitzenstein eds. Beer Sheva: Metropolin Be-Hithavut. Jerusalem. Pp. 303–331 (Hebrew).
Peretz I. 2014. Be’er Sheva‘, Civic Center.
HA-ESI 126.
Varga D. 1999. Be’er Sheva‘, the Civic Center. ESI 19:90*–91*.