Fountains in the desert

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Beer Sheva is a city in the dry Negev desert.
But it wants to be branded as Israel's "Water City."
And so there are some thirty fountains.

This one, The Globe, turns around and around in a shower of water.
At night it is illuminated with colored lights, or so I learn from this little video of Beer Sheva's fountains:

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Pseudo seashore

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 S is for seashore.
Sure, but in Beer Sheva, in the Negev desert??

Pretend you see blue sea and sky and sand.

Imagine these are soft lounges to lie on and sunbathe.

Surf this pipeline (in your dreams).

So funny, Beer Sheva is trying to brand itself as the Water City (Ir HaMayim).
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(Linking to ABC Wednesday and Signs, signs.)
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City Hall

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Another Brutalistism building--the Beer Sheva City Hall, tower included.

On one side its Brutalistic architecture is softened by a dancing fountain, at least.
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G is for gray, gray, gray  for ABC Wednesday.
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W is for water wheel

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Near the pedestrian mall in Beer Sheva's Old City they have recently built this pretend-acqueduct.

 
One end is a pool of water.

The other end is here at the water wheel.

It clatters around and around,

moving a few drops of water.

It was, of course, to the Negev and to Beer Sheva that Abraham our father came thousands of years ago.
The story about his wells in Beer Sheva is worth reading -- in Genesis 21:22-34.

Or here is a summary from The Jewish Magazine: 

Abraham was allowed to settle on the lands of king Avimelek, who ruled the land of Gerar. But they entered a dispute about a well which Abraham used but which had been taken by Avimelek's servants. Abraham dug a new well at Be'er Sheva and gave Avimelek seven lambs to enforce the oath to be peaceful towards each other. The well was dubbed Be'er Sheva (be'er means 'well' and sheva can be interpreted as 'seven' or 'oath.').

(Linking to ABC Wednesday.)
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Only dry readers may enter the library

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I was happy to discover the Joseph Meyerhoff Public Library in Beer Sheva.
Interesting system: to borrow one book you leave a 50 shekel deposit in cash or check, or for two books NIS 100.

At the entrance a page from Bechalomi, a book by Miriam Yalan-Shteklis,
 a beloved Israeli writer and poet famous for her children's books:

I think there's no need to make poems and songs.
They make themselves.
And how do they do that?
That's their secret. 

And a sign on the door that struck me funny down here in the Negev desert:

NO ENTERING THE LIBRARY
IN WET CLOTHES!
Thanks
the Management

Maybe kids get their clothes wet walking through the fountain right outside the library in Fannie and Max Targ Square, next to the Beer Sheva Conservatory of Music?
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(Linking to Our World Tuesday, signs signs, and Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors.)
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Water Music

 

Two grandmas sit on the bench near one of Beer Sheva's many shpritzing fountains. 

To their right is the Samuel Rubin Music Conservatory.

Israel Arts Directory website informs us that it is a

Municipal Conservatory which teaches western music (keyboard, stringed instruments, wind instruments, music theory) to young people aged 6 to 18 years. The majority of its students are high-school students who attend the Conservatory several times each week to study music, working towards high-school matriculation. With its excellent auditorium the Conservatory is an important regional centre for musical activity. It is the home of the Israel Be’er Sheva Sinfonietta  and also hosts regular concert series, conferences, seminars, masterclasses and other activities.

 (For Our World Tuesday meme.)

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Off in a corner, by the fountain

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Be'er Sheva, the landlocked city in the Negev desert, has started trying to brand itself as Israel's "water city."

All around this nice fountain near City Hall are cozy seating ensembles.

This couple was enjoying the morning with some knitting and newspaper reading.
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