The end of pre-monarchic Israel coincides with the end of the book of Judges and the beginning of 1 Samuel. The ageing prophet had failed to see that the political life of Israel was about to dramatically change and appointed his own two sons Joel and Abijah as his successors, serving at Beersheba. Predictably, they were unfit for the role and ‘did not follow his ways'.

The account of the LORD’s descent on to Mount Sinai in Exodus 19 is full of surprises. Moses alone is permitted to go up to the LORD, and God firmly instructs him to ‘“Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the LORD and many of them perish”’ (Exodus 19:21 NIV). The real surprise is found in the next verse where God states: ‘“Even the priests, who approach the LORD, must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them” (Exodus 19:22 NIV).

When Jesus met the woman at the well, it wasn’t just "any well", it was Jacob's well. Interestingly, the well is not mentioned anywhere in the Hebrew bible, and yet, by the time of Jesus it was clearly identified as belonging to the patriarch Jacob. Knowing how to find water, and dig wells, was a vital skill in the land of ancient Palestine – Abraham probably dug a well at Beersheba (modern Be'er Sheva) and Isaac certainly did.