Negeb Much of southern Palestine between the Dead Sea and the Sinai desert was dry semi-barren country to which the Hebrews gave the name negeb (meaning ‘dry’). The region features prominently in the Old Testament story from the time of Abraham onwards (Genesis 13:1; Numbers 1:13-29; 1 Samuel 30:14). (For details See Palestine, sub-heading ‘Negeb’.)