Yeruham

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Yeruham
Hebrew יְרוּחָם
Founded in 1951
Government Local council
District South
Population 9,400 (2006)
Jurisdiction 34,000 dunams (34 km²)
Head of municipality Amram Mitzna

Yeruham (Hebrew: יְרוּחָם‎, Yəruḥam) is a town (local council) in the Southern District of Israel, in the Negev desert. It covers 34,000 dunams (34 km²) and had a population of 9,400 in 2006. The mayor of Yeruham is Amram Mitzna.

Yeruham is the site of Tel Rahma, dating back to the 10th century BCE. On the outskirts of Yeruham is an ancient well, Be'er Rahma (באר רחמה). Some archeologists have identified it as the well where the biblical Hagar drew water for her son Ishmael.

Modern Yeruham was founded in 1951 as Kfar Yeruham (כְּפַר יְרֻחָם, Kəfar Yəruḥam), but it became Yeruham in 1962. It was one of Israel's first development towns, created to settle frontier areas in the early days of the state.

For many years, Yeruham was economically depressed and suffered from image problems, but major efforts to improve the quality of life are under way.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/917486.html Yeruham calls elections overrated] Haaretz, 28 October 2007

Coordinates: 30°59′N, 34°56′E