Wandering of Abraham in the land of Israel. I think Beer Sheva was an oasis, not owned by anyone at the time; not the Philistines nor the Canaanites.

My thought on the wandering of Abraham in the land of Israel. Abraham first got to the land of Canaan through Schem and then stayed at that latitude for a while and then made his way down south. Then he was in Egypt for a few months and then came back into the south of Israel and then went back up to that same middle area of Israel around Schem. {You can see this because he was between Ai and Beit El- Beit El on the West and Ai on the East; and we know that Ai was near Jericho also in the middle of Israel} Then Lot went to the Jordan valley. At that point I think the Jordan valley was not part of the land of Canaan, but rather was ruled by four kings who were not Canaanites. [Later the Canaanites took over that area after that those kings were defeated by Abraham and his men, and also that area was largely destroyed when God rained down on it salt and sulfur and some kind of fire that caused that whole area to up in smoke so high up that it could be seen from Hevron –way down South ] But Abraham then stayed in Canaan. Then he fought those kings and returned to live in Hevron. (He was in Hebron even before that war with the kings.) Then there was the incident with the destruction of Sodom, and then Abraham went to the land of the Philistines around present day Netivot. But then Abimelech took Sara, but returned her, and she gave birth to Isaac, and then Hagar [Abraham’s concubine] was thrown out and wandered in the desert of Beer Sheva. So, Abraham was no longer in Gerar [Netivot], but somewhere closer to Beer Sheva. Then Abimelech came to Abraham and they made a peace deal and called that place Beer Sheva and then Abimelech returned to the land of the Philistines (Plishtim). Then it say, "Abraham dwelt in the land of the Philistines many days." If Abimelech returned to the land of the Philistines, then Beer Sheva was not in the land of the Philistines. But then, if Abraham was in Beer Sheva, how was he in the land of the Philistines (plishtim) many days? I think Abraham was wandering between Beer Sheva and Netivot. I think Beer Sheva was an oasis, not owned by anyone at the time. Not the Philistines, nor the Canaanites. Later during the time of Isaac, I think the Canaanites settled that oasis and made it into a city. [I would like to add that after Abraham buried sara he stayed in Hebron with his son, Isaac, and in fact we know where Isaac first met Rebekah -it was near Hebron. For he met her at the well called “Lachai Roi”. And that was where Hagar had run away from sara when Abraham was in Hebron. so that whole area was near Hebron. Only after that Abraham and Isaac went to the land of the Philistines did they later go settle in Beer Sheva ]----------------------My thought on the wandering of אברהם in the land of Israel. אברהם first got to the land of כנען through שכםand then stayed at that latitude for a while and then made his way down south. Then he was in Egypt for a few months and then came back into the south of Israel and then went back up to that same middle area of Israel around שכם. {You can see this because he was between עי and בית אל on the West and עי on the East; and we know that עי was near יריחו also in the middle of ישראל} Then לוט went to the כיכר הירדן. At that point I think the כיכר הירדן was not part of the land of כנען, but rather was ruled by four kings who were not כנענים. [Later the כנענים took over that area after that those kings were defeated by אברהם and his men, and also that area was largely destroyed when God rained down on it salt and sulfur and some kind of fire that caused that whole area to up in smoke so high up that it could be seen from חברון way down South ] But אברהם then stayed in כנען. Then he fought those kings and returned to live in חברון. (He was in חברון even before that war with the kings.) Then there was the incident with the destruction of Sodom, and then אברהם went to the land of the פלישתים around present day נתיבות. But then אבימלך took שרה, but returned her, and she gave birth to יצחק, and then הגר [אברהם’s concubine] was thrown out and wandered in the desert of באר שבע. So, אברהם was no longer in גרר [נתיבות], but somewhere closer to באר שבע. Then אבימלך came to אברהם and they made a peace deal and called that place באר שבע and then אבימלך returned to the land of the פלישתים. Then it says, "אברהם dwelt in the land of the פלישתים many days." If אבימלך returned to the land of the פלישתים, then באר שבע was not in the land of the פלישתים. But then, if אברהם was in באר שבע, how was he in the land of the פלישתים many days? I think אברהם was wandering between באר שבע and נתיבות. I think באר שבעwas an oasis, not owned by anyone at the time. Not the פלישתים, nor the כנענים. Later during the time of Isaac, I think the כנענים settled that oasis and made it into a city. -------------------------------מחשבתי על נדודיו של אברהם בארץ ישראל. אברהם הגיע תחילה לארץ כנען דרך שכם, שהה בקו רוחב זה זמן מה, ואז ירד דרומה. לאחר מכן שהה במצרים מספר חודשים, חזר לדרום ישראל, ועלה לאותו אזור מרכזי בסביבות שכם. {ניתן לראות זאת משום שהוא היה בין עי לבית אל במערב, ועי במזרח; ואנחנו יודעים שעי היה קרוב ליריחו, גם באמצע ישראל}. לאחר מכן הלך לוט לכיכר הירדן. אני חושב שבנקודה זו, כיכר הירדן לא הייתה חלק מארץ כנען, אלא נשלטה על ידי ארבעה מלכים שלא היו כנענים. [מאוחר יותר, הכנענים השתלטו על האזור לאחר שהמלכים הללו הובסו על ידי אברהם ואנשיו, וגם האזור נהרס ברובו כאשר אלוהים המטיר עליו מלח וגופרית ואש שגרמו לכל האזור לעלות עשן כל כך גבוה עד שניתן היה לראותו מחברון הרחק דרומה]. אבל אברהם נשאר אז בכנען. לאחר מכן הוא נלחם במלכים הללו וחזר לגור בחברון. (הוא היה בחברון עוד לפני המלחמה ההיא עם המלכים.) אחר כך היה המקרה עם חורבן סדום, ואז אברהם הלך לארץ הפלשתים בסביבות נתיבות של ימינו. אבל אז אבימלך לקח את שרה, אבל החזיר אותה, והיא ילדה את יצחק, ואז הגר [פילגשו של אברהם] נזרק החוצה ונדדה במדבר באר שבע. אז, אברהם כבר לא היה בגרר [נתיבות], אלא איפשהו קרוב יותר לבאר שבע. ואז בא אבימלך לאברהם ועשו הסכם שלום וקראו למקום ההוא באר שבע, ואז חזר אבימלך לארץ הפלשתים. ואז כתוב "אברהם ישב בארץ הפלשתים ימים רבים". אם אבימלך חזר לארץ הפלשתים, אז באר שבע לא הייתה בארץ הפלשתים. אבל אז, אם אברהם היה בבאר שבע, איך הוא היה בארץ הפלשתים ימים רבים? אני חושב שאברהם הסתובב בין באר שבע לנתיבות. אני חושב שבאר שבע הייתה נווה מדבר, שלא היה בבעלותו של אף אחד באותה תקופה, לא הפלישתים, וגם לא הכנענים. מאוחר יותר בתקופת יצחק, אני חושב שהכנענים התיישבו בנווה המדבר הזה והפכו אותו לעיר