View source for Negev

{{Short description|Desert in southern Israel}}
{{Redirect|Naqab|places in Iran|Naqab, Iran (disambiguation){{!}}Naqab, Iran|the 1955 film|Naqab (film){{!}}''Naqab'' (film)|the light machine gun|IWI Negev|the nomadic Arab tribes|Negev Bedouin}}
{{Infobox landform
| name             = Negev
| native_name        = {{unbulleted list|{{native name|he|הַנֶּגֶב}}|{{native name|ar|النقب}}}}
| type             = [[Desert]], [[semidesert]]
| photo            = File:NahalHavarimNov212022 03.jpg
| photo_caption    = The [[Zin Desert|Zin Valley]] and Nahal Havarim, near [[Midreshet Ben-Gurion]]
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| coordinates      = {{coord|30|50|N|34|45|E|type:region|display=inline,title}}
| range=
| part_of          = [[Israel]]
| highest_elevation= {{cvt|1,037|m}}
| length=
| highest_point     = [[Mount Ramon]]
| width l=
| area= <!-- {{Convert|NN|ha|acres}} -->
| depth=
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| geology = <!-- or |type = -->
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}}

The '''Negev''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|n|ɛ|ɡ|ɛ|v}} {{respell|NEG|ev}}; {{langx|he|הַנֶּגֶב|haNégev}}) or '''Naqab''' ({{langx|ar|النقب|an-Naqab}}), is a [[desert]] and [[semidesert]] region of southern [[Israel]]. The region's largest city and administrative capital is [[Beersheba]] (pop. {{Israel populations|Be'er Sheva}}), in the north. At its southern end is the [[Gulf of Aqaba]] and the [[resort town|resort city]] and port of [[Eilat]]. It contains several [[development town]]s, including [[Dimona]], [[Arad, Israel|Arad]], and [[Mitzpe Ramon]], as well as a number of small [[Negev Bedouin|Bedouin]] towns, including [[Rahat]], [[Tel Sheva]], and [[Lakiya]]. There are also several [[kibbutz]]im, including [[Revivim]] and [[Sde Boker]]; the latter became the home of Israel's first [[Prime Minister of Israel|prime minister]], [[David Ben-Gurion]], after his retirement from politics.

Although historically part of a separate region (known during the [[Roman Empire|Roman period]] as [[Arabia Petraea]]), the Negev was added to the proposed area of [[Mandatory Palestine]], of which large parts later became [[Israel]], on 10 July 1922, having been conceded by British representative [[St John Philby]] "in [[Emirate of Transjordan|Trans-Jordan]]'s name".{{efn|Biger described this meeting as follows: "Sovereignty over the Arava, from the south of the [[Dead Sea]] to Aqaba, was also discussed. Philby agreed, in Trans-Jordan's name, to give up the western bank of Wadi Arava (and thus all of the Negev area). Nevertheless, a precise borderline was still not determined along the territories of Palestine and Trans-Jordan. Philby's relinquishment of the Negev was necessary, because the future of this area was uncertain. In a discussion regarding the southern boundary, the Egyptian aspiration to acquire the Negev area was presented. On the other hand the southern part of Palestine belonged, according to one of the versions, to the sanjak (district) of Ma'an within the vilayet (province) of Hejaz. King Hussein of Hijaz demanded to receive this area after claiming that a transfer action, to add it to the vilayet of [[Syria]] (A-Sham) was supposed to be done in 1908. It is not clear whether this action was completed. Philby claimed that Emir Abdullah had his father's permission to negotiate over the future of the sanjak of Ma'an, which was actually ruled by him, and that he could therefore 'afford to concede' the area west of the Arava in favour of Palestine. This concession was made following British pressure and against the background of the demands of the Zionist Organization for direct contact between Palestine and the Red Sea. It led to the inclusion of the Negev triangle in Palestine's territory, although this area was not considered as part of the country in the many centuries that preceded the British occupation."<ref>{{cite book|first=Gideon|last=Biger|title=The Boundaries of Modern Palestine, 1840–1947|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wUqRAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA170 |date=2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-76652-8 |page=181}} Biger references 10 July 1922 meeting notes, file 2.179, CZA</ref>}} Despite this, the region remained exclusively Arab until 1946; in response to the British [[Morrison–Grady Plan]] which would have allotted the area to an Arab state, the [[Jewish Agency]] enacted the [[11 points in the Negev]] plan to begin Jewish settlement in the area.<ref name="KarshMiller2013">{{cite book|first1=Efraim|last1=Karsh|first2=Rory|last2=Miller|title=Israel at Sixty: Rethinking the Birth of the Jewish State|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mSu4AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA55 |date=23 October 2013 |publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-96776-7|pages=55–}}</ref><ref name="Pappé1994">{{cite book|first=Ilan|last=Pappé|title=The Making of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1947–1951 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zAJZCKAwtPMC&pg=PA52|date=15 August 1994|publisher=I.B. Tauris |isbn=978-1-85043-819-9|pages=52–}}</ref> A year later, the [[United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine]] allotted a larger part of the area to the Jewish State which became Israel.

The desert is home to the [[Ben-Gurion University of the Negev]], whose faculties include the [[Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research]] and the [[Albert Katz International School for Desert Studies]], both located on the [[Midreshet Ben-Gurion]] campus adjacent to [[Sde Boker]].

In October 2012, global travel guide publisher [[Lonely Planet]] rated the Negev second on a list of the world's top ten regional travel destinations for 2013, noting its current transformation through development.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=6216 |title= Negev named among top ten travel destinations for 2013 |publisher= Israel Hayom |date= October 26, 2012 |access-date= October 29, 2012 |author= Gattegno, Ilan |url-status= live | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141006080732/http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=6216 |archive-date= October 6, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.lonelyplanet.com/themes/best-in-travel-2013/top-10-regions/ | title=Best in Travel 2013 – Top 10 regions | publisher=Lonely Planet | date=October 23, 2012 | access-date=April 2, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309013221/http://www.lonelyplanet.com/themes/best-in-travel-2013/top-10-regions/ | archive-date=March 9, 2013 | df=mdy-all }}</ref>
[[File:WV Negev & Southern Judean Mountains & southern Judean Desert regions in Israel.png|thumb|The Negev (red), Israel's parts of Mount Hebron (salmon) and Judaean Desert (pink) on a map of Israel]]

==Etymology==
The origin of the word ''Negev'' is from the [[Hebrew Language|Hebrew]] root denoting 'dry'; in the [[Hebrew Bible]], the word ''Negev'' is also used for the direction 'south'. Some English-language translations use the spelling ''Negeb''.

The Negev mentioned in the [[Bible]] (see [[Negev#Biblical |below]]) consisted only of the northernmost part of the modern Israeli Negev, with the [[semiarid]] [[Arad, Israel|Arad]]-[[Beersheba Valley]] defined as "the eastern (biblical) Negev".<ref name= BArieh>{{cite book |last= Beit-Arieh |first= Itzhaq |chapter= Introduction: Settlement |title= Tel Ira: a stronghold in the biblical Negev in the Eastern Negev |series= The Emery and Clare Yass Publications in Archaeology: Monograph Series of the Institute of Archaeology |publisher= Tel Aviv University |year= 1999 |number= 15 |isbn= 965-440-008-1 |chapter-url=http://mondrian.tau.ac.il/humanities/archaeology/publications/pub_mon15.html |access-date= 11 May 2024}}</ref>

In Arabic, the Negev is known as ''an-Naqab'' or ''an-Naqb'' ('the [mountain] pass'),<ref name=CIAP>{{cite book |chapter='Aqabah (Ailah) |title= Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae |series= Handbook of Oriental Studies/Handbuch Der Orientalistik |first=Moshe |last=Sharon |year= 1997 |location= Leiden & Boston |publisher= Brill Academic Publishers |pages= 89–90 |isbn= 978-90-04-10833-2 |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=j1rSzWgHMjoC&pg=PA90 |quote= In fact, there are two mountain passes through which the road of [[Aqaba |Aylah]] has to cross. The western one crosses the mountain ridge to the west of the gulf, and through it passes the main road from Egypt which cuts through the whole width of Sinai, coming from Cairo via Suez. This mountain pass is also called 'Aqabat Aylah, or as it is better known, "Naqb al-'Aqabah" or "Ras an-Naqb." |access-date=1 May 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151123144344/https://books.google.com/books?id=j1rSzWgHMjoC&pg=PA90&lpg=PA90&dq=Arabic+%22naqb%22&source=bl&ots=b5BLvNcxPD&sig=9R29RFCDy9HWltM-nn0ZksBNDWQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=c61CVZmFJ8fxUouUgegG&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Arabic%20%22naqb%22&f=false |archive-date=23 November 2015 |author-link= Moshe Sharon }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=71SnYdunv1MC&pg=PA670 |title= Perspectives on Israeli Anthropology |first1= Esther |last1= Hertzog |first2= Orit |last2= Abuhav |first3= Harvey E. |last3= Goldberg |first4= Emanuel |last4= Marx |author-link4=Emanuel Marx|date= 8 May 2018 |publisher= Wayne State University Press |access-date= 8 May 2018 |via= Google Books |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160326234655/https://books.google.com/books?id=71SnYdunv1MC&pg=PA670&lpg=PA670&dq=%22Naqb%22+%22negev%22+bedouin&source=bl&ots=EmTXpblmiv&sig=7o-BSiNevrZIl2gHgYAoPirkBHE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=athCVZ7AG8T1aqa_gMgM&ved=0CEsQ6AEwCQ |archive-date= 26 March 2016 |isbn= 978-0-8143-3050-0 }}</ref> though it was not thought of as a distinct region until the demarcation of the Egypt-Ottoman frontier in the 1890s and has no single Arabic name.<ref name=PEF1941>Palestine Exploration Quarterly (April 1941). ''The Negev, or Southern Desert of Palestine by George E. Kirk.'' London. Page 57.</ref>

During the [[Mandatory Palestine|British Mandate]], it was called "[[Beersheba sub-district]]".<ref name=PEF1941/>

==Geography==
[[File:NachalParan1.jpg|thumb|[[Nahal Paran]]]]

The Negev contains the oldest continuously exposed surface discovered on Earth, with an approximate age of 1.8 million years.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Frank|first=Adam|date=2018-04-13|title=Was There a Civilization on Earth Before Humans?|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/are-we-earths-only-civilization/557180/|access-date=2021-05-12|website=The Atlantic|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Britt |first1=Robert Roy |title=Oldest Surface on Earth Discovered |url=https://www.livescience.com/3542-oldest-surface-earth-discovered.html |work=livescience.com |date=5 May 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120704083919/https://www.livescience.com/3542-oldest-surface-earth-discovered.html |archive-date=2012-07-04 }}</ref> During the [[Pleistocene]], the Negev fluctuated between intervals of relative humidity and intervals of aridity similar to or even more severe than the present day; from around 80,000 to 13,000 years [[Before Present|BP]], during a time interval roughly corresponding to the [[Last Glacial Period]], the Negev was significantly more humid than today.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Roskin |first1=Joel |last2=Katra |first2=Itzhak |last3=Porat |first3=Naomi |last4=Zilberman |first4=Ezra |date=October 2013 |title=Evolution of Middle to Late Pleistocene sandy calcareous paleosols underlying the northwestern Negev Desert Dunefield (Israel) |journal=[[Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology]] |volume=387 |pages=134–152 |doi=10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.07.018 |bibcode=2013PPP...387..134R }}</ref> It covers more than half of Israel, over some {{Convert|13,000|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}, or at least 55% of the country's land area. It forms an inverted triangle shape whose western side is contiguous with the desert of the [[Sinai Peninsula]], and whose eastern border is the [[Arabah]] valley. The Negev has a number of interesting cultural and geological features. Among the latter are three enormous, craterlike [[makhtesh]]im (box canyons), which are unique to the region: [[Makhtesh Ramon]], [[HaMakhtesh HaGadol]], and [[HaMakhtesh HaKatan]].

The Negev is a rocky desert. It is a melange of brown, rocky, dusty mountains interspersed by [[wadi]]s (dry riverbeds with plants that flower briefly after rain) and deep craters. It can be split into five different ecological regions: northern, western and central Negev, the high plateau and the [[Arabah]] Valley. The northern Negev, or [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] zone, receives {{Convert|300|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain annually and has fairly fertile soil. The western Negev receives {{Convert|250|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain per year, with light and partially sandy soil. Sand [[dunes]] can reach heights of up to {{Convert|30|m|ft}} here. Home to the city of [[Beersheba]], the central Negev has an annual precipitation of {{Convert|200|mm|in|abbr=on}} and is characterised by impervious soil, known as [[loess]], allowing minimum penetration of water with greater soil erosion and water runoff. 

The high plateau area of [[Negev Mountains]]/Ramat HaNegev ({{langx|he|רמת הנגב}}, ''The Negev Heights'') stands between {{Convert|370|m|ft}} and {{Convert|520|m|ft}} above sea level with extreme temperatures in summer and winter. The area receives {{Convert|100|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain per year, with inferior and partially salty soil. The [[Arabah]] Valley along the Jordanian border stretches {{Convert|180|km|mi|abbr=on}} from Eilat in the south to the tip of the [[Dead Sea]] in the north. The [[Arabah]] Valley is very arid with barely {{Convert|50|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rain annually. It has inferior soil, in which little can grow without irrigation and special soil additives.

==Flora and fauna==
[[File:Acacia Negev.JPG|thumb|Of the three ''[[Acacia]]'' species growing in high plateau of the Negev, ''Acacia pachyceras'' is the most cold-resistant.]]

Vegetation in the Negev is sparse, but certain trees and plants thrive there, among them ''[[Acacia]]'', ''[[Pistacia]]'', ''[[Retama]]'', ''[[Urginea maritima]]'' and ''[[Thymelaea]]''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1= Bailey |first1= C. |last2= Danin |first2= A. |doi= 10.1007/BF02858682 |title= Bedouin plant utilization in Sinai and the Negev |journal= Economic Botany |volume= 35 |issue= 2 |page= 145 |year= 1981 |bibcode= 1981EcBot..35..145B |s2cid= 27839209}}</ref> ''[[Hyphaene thebaica]]'' or doum palm can be found in the Southern Negev. The Evrona Nature Reserve is the most northerly point in the world where this palm can be found.
[[File:Tulipa systola 1.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Tulips]] flowering in the Negev Mountains around early spring]]

A small population of [[Arabian leopard]]s, an endangered animal in the Arabian peninsula, has survived in the southern Negev but is now probably extinct.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-6236634.html |title=Gulf-Environment: Arabian Leopard Faces Extinction |access-date=8 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505022421/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-6236634.html|archive-date=5 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite iucn |author=Stein, A.B. |author2=Athreya, V. |author3=Gerngross, P. |author4=Balme, G. |author5=Henschel, P. |author6=Karanth, U. |author7=Miquelle, D. |author8=Rostro-García, S. |author9=Kamler, J.F. |author10=Laguardia, A. |author11=Khorozyan, I. |author12=Ghoddousi, A. |year=2023 |title=''Panthera pardus'' |volume=2023 |article-number=e.T15954A215195554 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T15954A215195554.en |access-date=14 May 2024}}</ref> Other [[carnivora]] found in the Negev are the [[caracal]], the [[striped hyena]], the [[Arabian wolf]], the [[golden jackal]] and the [[marbled polecat]].<ref name="Israel's Unique Wildlife">[https://davidson.weizmann.ac.il/en/online/sciencepanorama/israels-unique-wildlife "Israel's Unique Wildlife"] at the Davidson Institute.</ref>

The [[Arabah]] [[Arabian gazelle]] survives with a few individuals in the Negev.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shalmon |first1=Benny |last2=Sun |first2=Ping |last3=Wronski |first3=Torsten |title=Factors driving Arabian gazelles (Gazella arabica) in Israel to extinction: time series analysis of population size and juvenile survival in an unexploited population |journal=Biodiversity and Conservation |date=January 2020 |volume=29 |issue=1 |pages=315–332 |doi=10.1007/s10531-019-01884-8 |bibcode=2020BiCon..29..315S |doi-access=free }}</ref> The [[dorcas gazelle]] is more numerous, with some 1,000–1,500 individuals in the Negev.<ref name="Israel's Unique Wildlife"/> Some 350 to 500 [[Nubian ibex]] live in the Negev Highlands and in the [[Eilat Mountains]].<ref>[https://www.teva.org.il/?CategoryID=949&ArticleID=4910 "Nubian Ibex"] at ''natureisrael.org''.</ref><ref>{{cite iucn |author=Ross, S. |author2=Elalqamy, H. |author3=Al Said, T. |author4=Saltz, D. |year=2020 |title=''Capra nubiana'' |volume=2020 |article-number=e.T3796A22143385 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T3796A22143385.en |access-date=14 May 2024}}</ref>

The [[Negev shrew]] is a species of [[mammal]] of the family ''[[Soricidae]]'' that is found only in Israel.<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Hutterer, R. |author2=Shenbrot, G. |date=2017 |title=''Crocidura ramona'' |volume=2017 |article-number=e.T136722A89475013 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T136722A89475013.en |access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref> A population of the critically endangered [[Kleinmann's tortoise]] (also known as the [[Negev tortoise]]) survives in the sands of the western and central Negev Desert.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jerusalemzoo.org.il/len/apage/3006.php |title=Re-introduction – Negev tortoise|website=jerusalemzoo.org.il |access-date=8 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215095317/http://jerusalemzoo.org.il/len/apage/3006.php|archive-date=15 December 2013}}</ref>

Desert snails of the genus [[Euchondrus]] feed on [[endolith]]ic lichens which live inside limestone rocks, converting rock and lichen into soil, and releasing between 22 and 27 milligrams of nitrogen per square metre of soil through their faeces.<ref>[https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg12717332-400-science-rock-crunching-snails-turn-the-desert-green/ Science: Rock crunching snails turn the desert green]</ref>

Animals that were reintroduced after their [[extinct in the wild|extinction in the wild]] or [[local extinction|localised extinction]] respectively are the [[Arabian oryx]] and the [[onager|Asiatic wild ass]], which in the Negev number about 250 animals.<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Kaczensky, P. |author2=Lkhagvasuren, B. |author3=Pereladova, O. |author4=Hemami, M. |author5=Bouskila, A. |date=2020 |title=''Equus hemionus'' |volume=2020 |article-number=e.T7951A166520460 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T7951A166520460.en |access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref>

Like many areas in Israel and the rest of the Middle East, the Negev used to host in the distant past the [[Asiatic lion]] and the [[Asiatic cheetah]] until their complete extinction at the hands of humans in later centuries.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Meiri |first1=Shai |last2=Belmaker |first2=Amos |last3=Berkowic |first3=Daniel |last4=Kazes |first4=Kesem |last5=Maza |first5=Erez |last6=Bar-Oz |first6=Guy |last7=Dor |first7=Roi |title=A checklist of Israeli land vertebrates |journal=Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution |date=21 March 2019 |volume=65 |issue=1–2 |pages=43–70 |doi=10.1163/22244662-20191047 }}</ref>

The [[Arabian ostrich]] was once common in the Negev, but became extinct in the 1920s due to widespread hunting by humans.<ref name="haaretz_ref1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/2007-12-25/ty-article/the-bitter-fate-of-ostriches-in-the-wild/0000017f-db5a-db5a-a57f-db7af66d0000|title=The Bitter Fate of Ostriches in the Wild|last=Rinat|first=Zafrir|date=December 25, 2007|work=[[Haaretz]]|access-date=November 7, 2023|language=en}}</ref> There was an attempt to reintroduce the ostrich to the Negev using the [[North African ostrich]] in 2004 but it failed.<ref name = Seddon>Seddon, P.J. & Soorae, P.S. (1999)</ref>

==Climate==
The Negev region is [[Desert climate|arid]] ([[Eilat]] receives on average only {{Convert|24|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rainfall a year), receiving very little rain due to its location to the east of the [[Sahara]] (as opposed to the Mediterranean, which lies to the west of Israel), and extreme temperatures due to its location [[31st parallel north|31 degrees north]]. However the northernmost areas of the Negev, including Beersheba, are [[semi-arid]]. The usual rainfall total from June to October inclusive is zero. Snow and frost are rare in the northern Negev, and snow and frost are unknown in the vicinity of Eilat in the southernmost Negev.<ref name="weathermsn">{{cite web |url=http://weather.msn.com/local.aspx?wealocations=wc:ISXX0030 |title=Beersheba, ISR Weather |work=[[MSN]] |access-date=2008-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117074301/http://weather.msn.com/local.aspx?wealocations=wc:ISXX0030 |archive-date=2007-11-17 }}</ref>
{{Weather box
|location = [[Beersheba]]
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|collapsed = yes
|Jan record high C = 28.4
|Feb record high C = 31
|Mar record high C = 35.4
|Apr record high C = 40.9
|May record high C = 42.2
|Jun record high C = 46
|Jul record high C = 41.5
|Aug record high C = 40.5
|Sep record high C = 41.2
|Oct record high C = 39.6
|Nov record high C = 34
|Dec record high C = 31.4
|year record high C = 46
|Jan high C = 16.7
|Feb high C = 17.5
|Mar high C = 20.1
|Apr high C = 25.8
|May high C = 29
|Jun high C = 31.3
|Jul high C = 32.7
|Aug high C = 32.8
|Sep high C = 31.3
|Oct high C = 28.5
|Nov high C = 23.5
|Dec high C = 18.8
|year high C = 25.7
|Jan low C = 7.5
|Feb low C = 7.6
|Mar low C = 9.3
|Apr low C = 12.7
|May low C = 15.4
|Jun low C = 18.4
|Jul low C = 20.5
|Aug low C = 20.9
|Sep low C = 19.5
|Oct low C = 16.7
|Nov low C = 12.6
|Dec low C = 8.9
|year low C = 14.2
|Jan record low C = -5
|Feb record low C = -0.5
|Mar record low C = 2.4
|Apr record low C = 4
|May record low C = 8
|Jun record low C = 13.6
|Jul record low C = 15.8
|Aug record low C = 15.6
|Sep record low C = 13
|Oct record low C = 10.2
|Nov record low C = 3.4
|Dec record low C = 3
|year record low C = -5
|Jan precipitation mm = 49.6
|Feb precipitation mm = 40.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 30.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 12.9
|May precipitation mm = 2.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 0
|Jul precipitation mm = 0
|Aug precipitation mm = 0
|Sep precipitation mm = 0.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 5.8
|Nov precipitation mm = 19.7
|Dec precipitation mm = 41.9
|year precipitation mm = 204.1
|Jan precipitation days = 9.2
|Feb precipitation days = 8
|Mar precipitation days = 6.4
|Apr precipitation days = 2.6
|May precipitation days = 0.8
|Jun precipitation days = 0
|Jul precipitation days = 0
|Aug precipitation days = 0
|Sep precipitation days = 0.1
|Oct precipitation days = 1.8
|Nov precipitation days = 4.6
|Dec precipitation days = 7.5
|year precipitation days = 41
|source 1 = Israel Meteorological Service<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/LongTermInfo
 |title=Averages and Records for Beersheba (Precipitation, Temperature and Records [Excluding January and June] written in the page)
 |publisher=Israel Meteorological Service
 |date=August 2011
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100914010915/http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/LongTermInfo
 |archive-date=2010-09-14
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/TopClimetIsrael|title=Records Data for Israel (Data used only for January and June)|publisher=[[Israel Meteorological Service]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110828065903/http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/TopClimetIsrael|archive-date=2011-08-28}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

{{Weather box
|location= [[Eilat]]
|metric first= yes
|single line= yes
|collapsed = Y
|Jan record high C= 32.2
|Feb record high C= 35.8
|Mar record high C= 38.7
|Apr record high C= 43.4
|May record high C= 45.2
|Jun record high C= 47.4
|Jul record high C= 48.3
|Aug record high C= 48.0
|Sep record high C= 45.0
|Oct record high C= 44.3
|Nov record high C= 38.1
|Dec record high C= 33.6
|Jan high C= 21.3
|Feb high C= 23.0
|Mar high C= 26.1
|Apr high C= 31.0
|May high C= 35.7
|Jun high C= 38.9
|Jul high C= 40.4
|Aug high C= 40.0
|Sep high C= 37.3
|Oct high C= 33.1
|Nov high C= 27.7
|Dec high C= 23.0
|year high C=
|Jan low C= 10.4
|Feb low C= 11.8
|Mar low C= 14.6
|Apr low C= 18.4
|May low C= 22.5
|Jun low C= 25.2
|Jul low C= 27.3
|Aug low C= 27.4
|Sep low C= 25.2
|Oct low C= 21.8
|Nov low C= 16.3
|Dec low C= 11.9
|year low C=
|Jan record low C= 1.2
|Feb record low C= 0.9
|Mar record low C= 3.0
|Apr record low C= 8.4
|May record low C= 12.1
|Jun record low C= 18.5
|Jul record low C= 20.0
|Aug record low C= 19.4
|Sep record low C= 18.6
|Oct record low C= 9.2
|Nov record low C= 5.3
|Dec record low C= 2.5
|Jan rain mm= 4
|Feb rain mm= 3
|Mar rain mm= 3
|Apr rain mm= 2
|May rain mm= 1
|Jun rain mm= 0
|Jul rain mm= 0
|Aug rain mm= 0
|Sep rain mm= 0
|Oct rain mm= 4
|Nov rain mm= 2
|Dec rain mm= 5
|unit rain days=0.1&nbsp;mm
|Jan rain days = 2.1
|Feb rain days = 1.8
|Mar rain days = 1.6
|Apr rain days = 0.9
|May rain days = 0.7
|Jun rain days = 0
|Jul rain days = 0
|Aug rain days = 0
|Sep rain days = 0
|Oct rain days = 0.7
|Nov rain days = 0.8
|Dec rain days = 1.9
|source 1= ''Israel Meteorological Service''<ref name="ims">{{cite web|url=http://ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/LongTermInfo |title=Averages and Records for Tel Aviv (Precipitation, Temperature and Records written in the page) |publisher=Israel Meteorological Service |access-date=1 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100914010915/http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/LongTermInfo |archive-date=14 September 2010 }}{{in lang|he}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/TopClimetIsrael|title=Extremes for Tel Aviv [Records of February and May]|publisher=Israel Meteorological Service|access-date=2 August 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710130329/http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/TopClimetIsrael/|archive-date=10 July 2015}}{{in lang|he}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/ClimaticAtlas/TempNormals.htm |title=Temperature average |publisher=Israel Meteorological Service |access-date=8 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618145923/http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/ClimaticAtlas/TempNormals.htm |archive-date=18 June 2013 }}{{in lang|he}}</ref><ref name="Precipitation average">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/ClimaticAtlas/RainNormals.htm
 |title=Precipitation average
 |access-date=12 July 2011
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925080227/http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/ClimaticAtlas/RainNormals.htm
 |archive-date=25 September 2011
}}{{in lang|he}}</ref>
}}

==History==
{{see also|Ancient history of the Negev}}

===Prehistorical nomads===
Nomadic life in the Negev dates back at least 4,000 years<ref name=Shahinp459>{{cite book |last1=Shahin |first1=Mariam |title=Palestine: A Guide |date=2005 |publisher=Interlink |isbn=978-1-56656-557-8 |page=459 }}</ref> and perhaps as much as 7,000 years.<ref name = Finkelstein>{{cite journal |last1=Finkelstein |first1=Israel |last2=Perevolotsky |first2=Avi |title=Processes of Sedentarization and Nomadization in the History of Sinai and the Negev |journal=Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research |date=1990 |issue=279 |pages=67–88 |doi=10.2307/1357210 |jstor=1357210 }}</ref>

===Bronze Age===
The first urbanised settlements were established by a combination of [[Canaan]]ite, [[Amalekite]], [[Amorites|Amorite]], [[Nabataeans|Nabataean]] and [[Edomite]] groups {{Circa|2000 BCE}}.<ref name="Shahinp459"/> [[Pharaonic]] Egypt is credited with introducing copper mining and smelting in both the Negev and the [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]] between 1400 and 1300 BC.<ref name=Shahinp459/><ref name=Tebes>{{cite web |author=J. M. Tebes |year=2008 |url=http://www.uca.edu.ar/esp/sec-ffilosofia/esp/docs-institutos/s-cehao/otras_public/tebes_monog_sbl.pdf |title=''Centro y periferia en el mundo antiguo. El Negev y sus interacciones con Egipto, Asiria, y el Levante en la Edad del Hierro (1200-586 A.D.)'' ANEM 1. SBL – CEHAO |publisher=uca.edu.ar}}</ref>

==={{anchor|Biblical}}Biblical===
====Extent of biblical Negev====
According to Israeli archaeologists, in the [[Hebrew Bible]], the term Negev only relates to the northern, semi-arid part of what we call Negev today; of this, the [[Tel Arad|Arad]]-Beersheba Valley, which receives enough rain to permit agriculture and therefore sedentary occupation (the "desert fringe"), is accordingly defined as "the eastern (biblical) Negev".<ref name= BArieh/>

====Biblical reference====
According to the [[Book of Genesis]] chapter 13, [[Abraham]] lived for a while in the Negev after being banished from Egypt ({{bibleverse|Genesis 13:1,3|multi=yes}}). During the [[The Exodus|Exodus journey]] to the Promised Land, [[Moses]] sent [[The Twelve Spies|twelve scouts]] into the Negev to assess the land and population ({{bibleverse|Numbers|13:17}}). Later the northern part of biblical Negev was inhabited by the [[Tribe of Judah]] and the southern part of biblical Negev by the [[Tribe of Simeon]]. The Negev was later part of the [[United Monarchy|Kingdom of Solomon]] (in its entirety, all the way to the Red Sea), and then, with varied extension to the south, part of the [[Kingdom of Judah]].<ref>{{cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/negevchallenge00even |url-access= registration |page= [https://archive.org/details/negevchallenge00even/page/18 18] |title= The Negev: The Challenge of a Desert |first1= Michael |last1= Evenari |first2= Leslie |last2= Shanan |first3= Naphtali |last3= Tadmor |date=8 May 1982 |publisher= Harvard University Press |access-date=8 May 2018 |via=Internet Archive|isbn= 978-0-674-60672-2 }}</ref>

===Iron Age===
In the 9th century BC, development and expansion of mining in both the Negev and [[Edom]] (modern Jordan) coincided with the rise of the [[Assyrian Empire]].<ref name="Shahinp459" /> [[Beersheba]] was the region's capital and a centre for trade in the 8th century BCE.<ref name="Shahinp459"/> Small settlements of [[Israelites]] in the areas around the capital existed between 1020 and 928 BCE.<ref name="Shahinp459"/>

===Nabateans and Romans===
[[File:Ruins in Negev desert Israe.jpg|thumb|Ancient column with [[capital (architecture) |capital]] in the Negev]]

The 4th-century BC arrival of the [[Nabateans]] resulted in the development of irrigation systems that supported new urban centres located along the [[Negev incense route]] at [[Avdat]] (Oboda), [[Mamshit]] (Mampsis), [[Shivta]] (Sobata), [[Elusa (Haluza)|Haluza]] (Elusa), and [[Nitzana (Nabatean city)|Nitzana]] (Nessana).<ref name= Shahinp459/>{{dubious |New research dates irrigation to the Byzantine period. Nabataeans mainly maintained road stations (Oboda is possibly an urban exception) and hidden wells. |date= May 2024}} This at least was the prevailing theory, until more recent research showed that the earliest form of Nabataean agriculture in the Negev Highlands was only based on spring-water irrigation, with the much more extensive run-off water harvesting techniques using barrages and terraces apparently developing and being used only later, during the 4th-7th centuries AD, after the 3rd-century collapse of long-distance trade.<ref name= TEG12>{{cite journal |last1=Erickson-Gini |first1=T. |title=Nabataean agriculture: Myth and reality |journal=Journal of Arid Environments |date=November 2012 |volume=86 |pages=50–54 |doi=10.1016/j.jaridenv.2012.02.018 |bibcode=2012JArEn..86...50E }}</ref>

The Nabateans controlled the trade on the spice route between their capital [[Petra]] and the Gazan seaports. Nabatean currency and the remains of red and orange [[potsherd]]s, identified as a trademark of their civilisation, have been found along the route, remnants of which are also still visible.<ref name= Shahinp459/> Nabatean control of the Negev ended when the [[Roman Empire]] annexed their lands in 106 AD.<ref name= Shahinp459/> The population, largely comprising nomads, venerated deities such as [[Dushara]], [[Allat]], and others.<ref name= Shahinp459/>

===Byzantine heydays: desert agriculture===
[[Byzantine Palestine|Byzantine]] rule in the 4th century introduced [[Christianity]] to the population.<ref name= Shahinp459/> Agriculture-based cities were established and the population grew exponentially.<ref name= Shahinp459/> As shown by the research conducted by [[Michael Evenari]], [[desert agriculture |novel techniques]] were employed, such as [[Surface runoff| runoff]] rainwater collection and management systems, which harvested water from larger areas and directed it onto smaller plots.<ref name="GERF">[https://globalearthrepairfoundation.org/michael-evenari/ "Michael Evenari"] profile at [[Global Earth Repair Foundation]], [[Port Hadlock|Port Hadlock, WA]], 14 March 2022. Accessed 4 Dec 2023.</ref> This permitted the cultivation of plants with much higher water requirements than the given arid environment could provide for.<ref name= GERF/> Evenari researched the ancient mechanisms, rediscovered the ratio of water collection area to cultivation area, and explained the various ancient techniques of [[land amelioration]], such as [[wadi]] [[Fluvial terrace| terracing]] and [[flash-flood]] dams, and the features used for collecting and directing runoff water.<ref name= GERF/> He thought that the creators of this elaborate systems had been the [[Nabataeans]],<ref name= GERF/> a theory proved wrong by more recent studies, which dated the massive agricultural and demographic expansion in the area to the [[Timeline of the Palestine region#Byzantine period| Byzantine period]].<ref name= volcanoes>{{Cite news |url= https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israeli-archaeologists-reveal-secrets-of-ancient-desert-wine-industry-1.9022227 |title= How Volcanoes and Plague Killed the Byzantine Wine Industry in Israel |first= Ariel |last=David|work=Haaretz|date=29 July 2020 |access-date= 2020-08-04}}</ref> The older explanation for the ''Tuleilat el-Anab'', lit. 'grape mounds' phenomenon, has also been discarded: these large piles of rocks probably served two purposes: removing the rocks from the cultivated plots and accelerating the erosion and water transportation of [[topsoil]] from the runoff collection area onto those plots.<ref name= phot>Carl Rasmussen (4 July 2020). Negev Agriculture: [https://holylandphotos.org/browse.asp?s=1,2,9,3718&img=ISNGAGAG11 Tuleilat al-Anab]. "Holy Land Photos" website. Accessed 4 Dec 2023.</ref>

Along with Avdat (Oboda), Mamshit (Mampsis), Shivta (Sobata), Haluza (Elusa), and Nitzana (Nessana), the settlements at [[Rehovot-in-the-Negev]]/Ruheibeh (the second largest by population of the Byzantine-era "Negev towns"<ref name= Nagar>{{cite thesis |last= Nagar |first= Yossi |title= Anthropology of Rehovot-in-the-Negev Population as an Example of a Large Byzantine Settlement in the Negev |date= January 1999 |degree= Ph.D. |publisher=[[Tel Aviv University]] |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307539714 |access-date= 12 May 2024}}</ref>) and [[Saadon]] are also significant for this period.<ref name= Zh>{{cite journal |last1=Korzhenkov |first1=Andrey M. |last2=Mazor |first2=Emanuel |title=Archaeoseismological Damage Patterns at the Ancient Ruins at Rehovot-ba-Negev, Israel |journal=Archäologischer Anzeiger |date=9 May 2017 |pages=75–92 |doi=10.34780/0at4-6147 }}</ref><ref name= guano>{{cite journal |last1=Tepper |first1=Yotam |last2=Weissbrod |first2=Lior |last3=Fried |first3=Tal |last4=Marom |first4=Nimrod |last5=Ramsay |first5=Jennifer |last6=Weinstein-Evron |first6=Mina |last7=Aharonovich |first7=Sophia |last8=Liphschitz |first8=Nili |last9=Farhi |first9=Yoav |last10=Yan |first10=Xin |last11=Boaretto |first11=Elisabetta |last12=Bar-Oz |first12=Guy |title=Pigeon-raising and sustainable agriculture at the fringe of the desert: a view from the Byzantine village of Sa'adon, Negev, Israel |journal=Levant |date=2 January 2018 |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=91–113 |doi=10.1080/00758914.2018.1528532 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Decline; causes===
A massive increase in grape production in the northwestern Negev for the requirements of the wine industry was noted for the early 6th century, documented by studying ancient refuse mounds at Shivta, [[Elusa (Haluza)|Elusa]] and [[Nessana]].<ref name=volcanoes/> There is a sharp peak in the presence of grape pips and broken "[[Gaza jar]]s" used to export wine and other [[Levant]]ine goods from the [[Maiuma (city)| port of Gaza]] (see "[[Gaza wine]]"), after a slower increase during the fourth and fifth centuries, and followed in the mid-6th century by a sudden decrease.<ref name=volcanoes/> This was when two major calamities struck the [[Byzantine Empire]] and large parts of the world: the [[Late Antique Little Ice Age]] (536-545), caused by huge volcanic eruptions in the world, with the resulting [[extreme weather events of 535–536]]; and in the 540s the first outbreak of [[bubonic plague]] in the [[Old World]], known as the [[Justinianic Plague]].<ref name= volcanoes/> It seems likely that these two events resulted in a near-cessation of international trade with luxury goods such as Gaza wine, grape production in the Negev settlements again giving way to subsistence farming focusing on [[barley]] and [[wheat]].<ref name= volcanoes/> Repeated earthquakes hit the region during the Byzantine period, with numerous revetment walls added to buildings to support them against collapse; a large 7th-century seismic event led to the abandonement of Avdat and Rehovot-in-the-Negev.<ref name= Nagar/><ref name= Zh/>

This recent analysis of newly obtained data has proved the previously widely accepted theory wrong, namely that the [[Muslim conquest of the Levant|Muslim conquest]], which occurred a century after these events, and specifically the [[Khamr| Muslim ban on alcoholic beverages]], was the cause of the decline of the wine industry in the Negev.<ref name= volcanoes/> In Nessana, the number of grape pips is even seen to increase again during the [[Timeline of the Palestine region#Early Islamic period| Early Islamic period]], probably due to the [[Sacramental wine|needs]] of a local Christian monastery.<ref name= volcanoes/>

This disappearance of the wine industry from the semi-arid northern Negev shows that it was technically possible to sustain it over centuries, but that the grape [[monoculture]] was economically unsustainable in the long run<ref name= volcanoes/> due to its dependence on empire-wide trading networks, which required stability and prosperity over a vast territory.

===Early and Middle Islamic periods===
The southern Negev saw a flourishing of economic activity during the 8th to 10th or 11th centuries.<ref name=Avner>{{cite journal |first1=Uzi |last1=Avner |author-first2=Jodi |author-last2=Magness |author-link2=Jodi Magness |title= Early Islamic settlement in the Southern Negev |journal=[[Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research]] |volume= 310 |issue= 310 |year= 1998 |pages= 39–57 |doi= 10.2307/1357577 |jstor= 1357577 |s2cid= 163609232}}</ref> Six Islamic settlements have been found in the vicinity of modern [[Eilat]], along with copper and gold mines and stone quarries, a sophisticated irrigation system and road network.<ref name= Avner/> The economic centre was the port of Ayla ([[Aqaba]]).<ref name= Avner/>

===10th–19th century Bedouins===
{{Main|Negev Bedouins}}
[[File:Palmer map of Northern Sinai and the Negev (with modern borders overlaid).jpg|thumb|In 1871, the first scientifically accurate map of the Negev by [[E. H. Palmer]] was published in conjunction with the Ordnance Survey of Palestine and the [[Palestine Exploration Fund]]. The red dotted lines have been overlaid to show the modern borders that apply today.]]

Nomadic tribes ruled the Negev largely independently and with a relative lack of interference for the next thousand years.<ref name="Shahinp459"/> What is known of this time is largely derived from oral histories and folk tales of tribes from the [[Wadi Musa]] and Petra areas in present-day [[Jordan]].<ref name="Shahinp459"/> The Bedouins of the Negev historically survived chiefly on sheep and goat husbandry. Scarcity of water and of permanent pastoral land required them to move constantly. The Bedouin in years past established few permanent settlements, although some were built, leaving behind remnants of stone houses called 'baika.'<ref name="Finkelstein"/>

===Late Ottoman period (1900–1917)===
In 1900, the [[Ottoman Empire]] established an administrative centre for southern [[Ottoman Syria|Syria]] at Beersheba including schools and a railway station.<ref name="Shahinp459"/> The authority of the tribal chiefs over the region was recognised by the Ottomans.<ref name="Shahinp459"/>  A railway connected it to the port of [[Rafah]]. In 1914, the Ottoman authorities estimated the nomadic population at 55,000.<ref name=census1922/>

===British Mandate===
[[File:Possible Redistribution of Ottoman and Arabian Territory on the Principle of Self-Determination November 1918.png|thumb|A map considered by the British Cabinet in 1918 suggested that the Negev could be included in either Palestine or Egypt.<ref>Map from [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7732547 CAB 24/72/7] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107155625/http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7732547 |date=2016-11-07 }}: "Maps illustrating the Settlement of Turkey and the Arabian Peninsula", forming an annex to: [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7732546 CAB 24/72/6] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107155628/http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7732546 |date=2016-11-07 }}, a British Cabinet memorandum on "The Settlement of Turkey and the Arablan Peninsula"</ref>]]

The 1916 [[Sykes-Picot Agreement]] between Britain and France placed the Negev in Area B, "Arab state or states" under British patronage.<ref>{{cite book |first=Gideon |last=Biger |title=The Boundaries of Modern Palestine, 1840–1947 |page=64 |publisher=RoutledgeCurzon |year=2004}}</ref> The Negev was appropriated from the Ottoman army by British forces during 1917 and became part of [[Mandatory Palestine]].

In 1922, the Bedouin component of the population was estimated at 72,898 out of a total of 75,254 for the Beersheba sub-district.<ref name=census1922>Palestine, Report and General Abstracts of the Census of 1922, October 1922, J.B. Barron, Superintendent of the Census, pages 4,7</ref> The 1931 census estimated that the population of the Beersheba sub-district was 51,082.<ref>Census of Palestine 1931, Volume I. Palestine Part I, Report. Alexandria, 1933, p49.</ref> This large decrease was considered to be an artifact of incorrect enumeration methods used in 1922.<ref name=census1922/> An Arabic history of tribes around Beersheba, published in 1934 records 23 tribal groups.<ref>Palestine Exploration Quarterly. (October 1937 & January 1938) ''Notes on the Bedouin Tribes of Beersheba District. by S. Hillelson.'' Translations from ''A History of Beersheba and the Tribes thereof (Ta'rikh Bir al-Saba' wa qaba'iliha).'' by 'Arif al-'Arif.</ref>

===State of Israel===
Most of the Negev was earmarked by the November 1947 UN Partition Plan for the future Jewish state. During the 1947–49 War of Independence, Israel secured its sovereignty over the Negev. In the early years of the state, it absorbed many of the [[Jewish exodus from Arab countries|Jewish refugees from Arab countries]], with the Israeli government setting up many [[development towns]], such as [[Arad, Israel|Arad]], [[Sderot]] and [[Netivot]]. Since then, the Negev has also become home to many of the [[Israel Defense Forces]]' major bases – a process accelerating in the past two decades.

==Demography==
With effect from 2010, the Negev was home to some 630,000 people, or 8.2% of [[Israel]]'s population, even though it comprises over 55% of the country's area. 470,000 Negev residents (75% of the population) are [[Jews]], while 160,000 or 25% are Bedouin.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3420595,00.html |title=A Bedouin welcome – Israel Travel, Ynetnews |newspaper=Ynetnews |publisher=Ynetnews.com |date=1995-06-20 |access-date=2011-10-09 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629094356/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3420595,00.html |archive-date=2011-06-29 |last1=Leviev |first1=Tami }}</ref> Of the Bedouin population (a demographic with a semi-nomadic tradition), 50% live in [[Unrecognized Bedouin villages in Israel|unrecognized villages]], and 50% live in towns built for them by the Israeli government between the 1960s and 1980s; the largest of these is [[Rahat]].
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 43466 Rahat.jpg|thumb|[[Rahat]], the largest Bedouin city in the Negev]]

The population of the Negev is expected to reach 1.2 million by 2025.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} It was projected that the [[Beersheba]] metropolitan area would reach a population of 1 million by 2020, and [[Arad, Israel|Arad]], [[Yeruham]], and [[Dimona]] would triple in size by 2025.<ref>{{cite web |last=Udasin |first=Sharon |url=https://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=248711 |title='1.2 million residents in the Negev by 2025' {{pipe}} JPost {{pipe}} Israel News |date=21 May 2012 |publisher=JPost |access-date=2014-01-19 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930063722/http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=248711 |archive-date=2012-09-30 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.calcalist.co.il/real_estate/articles/0,7340,L-3412128,00.html |title=תוכנית באר שבע אושרה; המטרה – מיליון תושבים עד שנת 2020 |publisher=Calcalist.co.il |date=1995-06-20 |access-date=2014-01-19 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203030548/http://www.calcalist.co.il/real_estate/articles/0,7340,L-3412128,00.html |archive-date=2014-02-03 }}</ref>

==Bedouin==

A large part of the Negev [[Bedouins]] inhabit small communities or villages. Israel has refused to recognise certain Bedouin villages that were founded after the establishment of the state. Under Israel's 2011-adopted and enacted Begin-Prawer plan – officially the [[Bill on the Arrangement of Bedouin Settlement in the Negev]] – some Bedouins are being moved to newly created townships. Bedouin villages established without proper sanction after establishment of the state are illegal under Israeli law. They are consequently destroyed or threatened with destruction.<ref>[http://972mag.com/prawer-plan-how-the-natives-became-invaders-in-their-own-homes/83052/ Prawer Plan: How the natives became invaders in their own homes] 972mag, 5 december 2013</ref><ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/nov/03/bedouin-plight-traditions-threat-israel Bedouins' plight: 'We want to maintain our traditions. But it's a dream here'] The Guardian, 3 November 2011</ref> An Israeli court ruling in 2017 forced six residents to pay the cost of eight rounds of demolition to the state.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zikri |first1=Almog Ben |title=Israeli court orders Bedouin to reimburse state for cost of demolishing their homes |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2017-08-22/ty-article/.premium/israeli-court-duns-bedouin-for-home-demolitions/0000017f-dc74-d856-a37f-fdf4b8ae0000 |work=Haaretz |date=22 August 2017 |quote=six residents of al-Araqib must pay 262,000 shekels (more than $72,000) for previous demolition costs, in addition to 100,000 shekels ($27,693) to cover the costs of the state's lawyer. }}</ref>

==Economy and housing==

===Development plans===
[[File:Blueprint Negev planned community.jpg|thumb|left|[[Blueprint Negev]] [[mobile homes]], 2009]]

[[Blueprint Negev]] is a [[Jewish National Fund]] project introduced in 2005. The $600 million project is intended to attract 500,000 new Jewish residents to the Negev by improving transport infrastructure, establishing businesses, developing water resources and introducing programmes to protect the environment.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jnf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=negevPoints |title= Jewish National Fund: The Negev - 12 Points|website=www.jnf.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813072730/http://www.jnf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=negevPoints |archive-date=August 13, 2007}}</ref> A planned artificial desert river, swimming pools and golf courses raised concerns among environmentalists.<ref>{{cite web |first=Daniel |last=Orenstein |url=https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/841397.html |title=When an ecological community is not |date=March 25, 2007 |publisher=haaretz.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925063932/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/841397.html |archive-date=September 25, 2009 }}</ref><ref>[http://bustan.org/2007/01/jnf_website_blueprint_negev_de.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402154323/http://bustan.org/2007/01/jnf_website_blueprint_negev_de.html|date=April 2, 2015}}</ref> Critics oppose those plans, calling instead for an inclusive plan for the green vitalisation of existing population centres, investment in Bedouin villages, a clean-up of toxic industries and development of job options for the unemployed.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Daniel|last1=Orenstein|first2=Steven|last2=Hamburg|url=http://www.watsoninstitute.org/news_detail.cfm?id=383 |title=The JNF's Assault on the Negev |work=The Jerusalem Report |date=November 28, 2005 |publisher=watsoninstitute.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071019053259/http://www.watsoninstitute.org/news_detail.cfm?id=383 |archive-date=October 19, 2007 |df=mdy-all |access-date=August 7, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neohasid.org/negev/resolution |title=Ohalah resolution |publisher=neohasid.org |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702161133/http://www.neohasid.org/negev/resolution/ |archive-date=2013-07-02 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://neohasid.org/negev/save_the_negev/ |title=Neohasid's Save the Negev Campaign |publisher=neohasid.org |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215093430/http://neohasid.org/negev/save_the_negev/ |archive-date=2013-12-15 }}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|last=Manski|first=Rebecca|title=Blueprint Negev|url=http://mondoweiss.net/2010/11/blueprint-negev.html|publisher=MERIP/Mondoweiss|date=9 November 2010|access-date=23 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815092444/http://mondoweiss.net/2010/11/blueprint-negev.html|archive-date=15 August 2014}}</ref>

A major [[Israel Defense Forces]] training base is being constructed in the Negev to accommodate 10,000 army personnel and 2,500 civilian staff. Three more bases will be built by 2020 as part of a plan to vacate land and buildings in Tel Aviv and central Israel, and bring jobs and investment to the south.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/77940556-c6ac-11e2-a861-00144feab7de|title=Israel looks to fulfil desert dream with Negev military base |author=John Reed |date=May 27, 2013 |website=Financial Times|access-date=8 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820051934/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/77940556-c6ac-11e2-a861-00144feab7de.html#ixzz2nWgo9lKu|archive-date=20 August 2016}}</ref>

=== Solar power ===
{{Main|Solar power in Israel}}
[[File:Solar troughs in the Negev desert of Israel.jpg|thumb|Solar troughs in the Negev]]

The Negev Desert and the surrounding area, including the [[Arava Valley]], are the sunniest parts of Israel and little of this land is [[Arable land|arable]], which is why it has become the centre of the Israeli solar industry.<ref name=Kib>{{cite news |url=https://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1205420713036&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter |title=Head of Kibbutz Movement: We will not be discriminated against by the government |author=Ehud Zion Waldoks |newspaper=[[Jerusalem Post]] |date=March 10, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713124653/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1205420713036&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter |archive-date=July 13, 2011 |df=mdy-all |access-date=February 4, 2011 }}</ref> [[David Faiman]], an expert on solar energy, is of the opinion that Israel's future energy requirements could be met by building solar energy plants in the Negev. As director of [[Ben-Gurion National Solar Energy Center]], he operates one of the largest solar dishes in the world.<ref name=Register>{{cite web |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/25/faiman_negev_solar_plan/ |title=Giant solar plants in Negev could power Israel's future |first=John |last=Lettice |website=The Register |date=January 25, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929011836/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/25/faiman_negev_solar_plan/ |archive-date=September 29, 2013 }}</ref>  Technically, however, the Arava is a separate desert with its own unique climate and ecology.

A 250&nbsp;MW solar park in [[Ashalim]], an area in the northern Negev, the [[Ashalim Power Station]], produces 121 Megawatts of power, using solar mirrors and thermal water heating. It is currently the largest in Israel.

The Rotem Industrial Complex outside of [[Dimona, Israel]], has dozens of solar mirrors that focus the sun's rays on a tower that in turn heats a water boiler to create steam, turning a turbine to create electricity.  Luz II, Ltd., plans to use the solar array to test new technology for the three new solar plants to be built in California, USA for [[Pacific Gas and Electric Company]].<ref name=Dimona>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna25124614 |title=Calif. solar power test begins — in Israeli desert |agency=Associated Press |date=June 12, 2008 |access-date=December 23, 2008 }}</ref><ref name=CA>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL1110252820080611 |title=Israel site for California solar power test |first= Ari |last=Rabinovitch|work= Reuters |date= June 11, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Washington |url=http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-05/2008-05-08-voa17.cfm |title=Building Small Prototype Homes, an Israeli Solar Experiment {{pipe}} News {{pipe}} English |publisher=Voice of America |date=2008-05-08 |access-date=2011-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826073530/http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-05/2008-05-08-voa17.cfm |archive-date=2009-08-26 }}</ref>

===Wineries===
[[File:Yatirwine.JPG|thumb|upright|left|Yatir Forest 2005, produced by [[Yatir Winery]] in the Negev]]

Vines have been planted in the Negev since ancient times. In modern times, vineyards have been established in the northern Negev hills using innovative computerised irrigation methods. [[Carmel Winery]] was the first of the major wineries to plant vineyards in the Negev and operates a boutique winery at Ramat [[Arad, Israel|Arad]]. Tishbi has vineyards at [[Sde Boker]] and Barkan grows its grapes in [[Mitzpe Ramon]].<ref>[http://gemsinisrael.com/e_article000033151.htm Israel's Wine Regions] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305190526/http://www.gemsinisrael.com/e_article000033151.htm |date=2012-03-05 }}</ref> [[Yatir Winery]] is a winery in [[Tel Arad]]. Its vineyards are on a hill 900 metres above sea level on the outskirts of [[Yatir Forest]].<ref name=rogov2009>{{cite book |title=Rogov's Guide to Israeli Wine |last=Rogov |first=Daniel |year=2009 |publisher=Toby Press |location=London |isbn=978-1-61329-019-4|page=467 }}</ref> Carmey Avdat is Israel's first solar-powered winery.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greenprophet.com/2009/07/sunday-israel-solar-power-wine/|title=Sunday Energy and Carmey Avdat Winery Helping Produce Israel's First Solar Powered Wine|website=greenprophet.com|date=8 July 2009 |access-date=8 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325064217/https://www.greenprophet.com/2009/07/sunday-israel-solar-power-wine/|archive-date=25 March 2017}}</ref>

==Environmental issues==
{{Update section|date=January 2019}}
[[File:Midreshet Ben Gurion.jpg|thumb| Campus of [[Midreshet Ben Gurion]]]]

The Negev is home to hazardous infrastructures that include [[Negev Nuclear Research Center]] [[nuclear reactor]], 22 agrochemical and petrochemical factories, an oil terminal, closed military zones, quarries, a toxic waste incinerator at [[Ne'ot Hovav]], cell towers, a power plant, several airports, a prison, and two rivers of open sewage.<ref name= Manski>{{cite web|last=Manski|first=Rebecca|title=Bedouin Vilified Among Top 10 Environmental Hazards in Israel|url=http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/aicafe/103-topics/news/825-bedouin-vilified-among-top-10-environmental-hazards-in-israel-825|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131205045321/http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/aicafe/103-topics/news/825-bedouin-vilified-among-top-10-environmental-hazards-in-israel-825|archive-date=5 December 2013|publisher=AIC|access-date=12 April 2013}}</ref>

In 2005, the Tel Aviv municipality was accused of dumping waste in the Negev at the {{ill| Dudaim Waste Facility|lt=Dudaim dump|he|דודאים (אתר פסולת)}}.<ref>{{cite web |first=Gali |last=Berger |url=http://www.boker.org.il//english/sinofwaste.htm |title=Sin of waste / Municipal refuse that's out of sight, out of mind |work=Haaretz |date=October 12, 2005 |publisher=boker.org.il |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609181637/http://www.boker.org.il//english/sinofwaste.htm |archive-date=June 9, 2011 |access-date=July 29, 2008 }}</ref> The Manufacturers Association of Israel established an authority in 2005 to move 60 industrial enterprises active in the Tel Aviv region to the Negev.<ref>{{cite web |first=Hadas |last=Manor |url=http://www.boker.org.il//english/manufacturers.htm |title=Manufacturers promoting transfer of 60 factories to Negev |work=Globes |date=August 11, 2005 |publisher=boker.org.il |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051122204446/http://www.boker.org.il/english/manufacturers.htm |archive-date=November 22, 2005 |access-date=July 29, 2008 }}</ref>

[[File:Statue in the Negev desert of Israel.jpg|thumb|"Negev Guardian" (2005), 16 m tall environmental statue by Emilio Mogilner next to [[Ramat Hovav]] industrial zone, protesting against pollution]]

In 1979, the [[Ramat Hovav]] toxic waste facility was established in [[Wadi el-Na'am]] because the area was perceived as invulnerable to leakage. However, within a decade, cracks were found in the rock beneath Ramat Hovav.<ref name= Manski/> In 2004, the Israeli Ministry of Health released [[Ben Gurion University]] research findings describing the health problems in a {{Convert|20|km|mi|abbr=on}} vicinity of Ramat Hovav. The study, funded in large part by Ramat Hovav, found higher rates of cancer and mortality for the 350,000 people in the area. Prematurely released to the media by an unknown source, the preliminary study was publicly discredited;<ref>{{cite web |first=Rebecca |last=Manski |url=http://www.bustan.org/subject.asp?id=25 |title=The Bedouin as Worker-Nomad |publisher=bustan.org |year=2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003220015/http://www.bustan.org/subject.asp?id=25 |archive-date=2011-10-03}}</ref> However, its final conclusions – that Bedouin and Jewish residents near Ramat Hovav are significantly more susceptible than the rest of the population to miscarriages, severe birth defects, and respiratory diseases – passed a peer review several months later.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bentov |first1=Yaakov |last2=Kordysh |first2=Ella |last3=Hershkovitz |first3=Reli |last4=Belmaker |first4=Ilana |last5=Polyakov |first5=Marina |last6=Bilenko |first6=Natasha |last7=Sarov |first7=Batia |title=Major congenital malformations and residential proximity to a regional industrial park including a national toxic waste site: An ecological study |journal=Environmental Health |date=December 2006 |volume=5 |issue=1 |page=8 |doi=10.1186/1476-069X-5-8 |doi-access=free |pmid=16571107 |pmc=1557491 |bibcode=2006EnvHe...5....8B }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Caliche]]
* [[Negev Foundation]]

== Explanatory notes ==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Negev}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180628060440/http://www.boker.org.il/english/ Sde Boker archive of articles on the Negev]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180812071258/http://www.netonegev.co.il/ Israel's Negev Information Site]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120717043824/http://www.mapisrael.info/negev Photos of Negev]

{{Deserts}}
{{South District (Israel)}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Negev| ]]
[[Category:Deserts of Israel]]
[[Category:Geography of Southern District (Israel)]]
[[Category:Regions of Israel]]
[[Category:Hebrew Bible regions]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Israel]]