Wells have played a very important role in Hebrew culture. In Palestine, the rainy season is very short and the rain fall is low. The whole region is very dry. However, water is almost as important as air for nomadic people. It is said that if sheep go without water for three days, they will become ill; and in five days they die. In Genesis we read the story about Abraham and how he built altars to the Lord as the first thing he would do when he moved from place to place in the land of Canaan. Secondly, he would dig wells for his household and his cattle. Isaac, his son, followed his steps to Gerar, and also dug many wells. Because of those wells he quarreled many times with the Philistines. (Genesis 2) 

Several beautiful stories about marriages recorded in the Bible had something to do with wells, including some leaders of Israelites. For instance in Genesis 24, we read the story about Isaac and Rebekah. When the faithful servant of Abraham arrived at Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor, he prayed at the well. He prayed that God would lead him to find the one He had in mind for Isaac. Before he finished praying, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder. She did just as the servant had prayed; she gave the servant a drink and drew water for all his camels. The old servant knew in his heart that she was the one God had prepared for Isaac. Right there beside the well, he took out a gold nose ring and two gold bracelets and gave them to Rebekah. When he returned to his master with Rebekah, the Bible says "Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death." (Genesis 24: 67) 

Another story was about Isaac's son Jacob, and his wife Rachel. Fearing his brother Esau, who threatened to kill him, Jacob fled to his uncle Laban. When he arrived, he saw a well in the field with three flocks of sheep lying there waiting for water. While he was asking the shepherds about Laban, Rachel came with her father's sheep. Quickly, Jacob went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud and told her about himself. Their romance started there beside the well. Jacob fell in love so deeply with Rachel that he was willing to work seven years for Laban just to marry her. As the account says, he actually worked fourteen years before Laban gave Rachel to him. 

One more story in the Old Testament was about Moses and his wife, Zipporah. Fleeing from Pharaoh who wanted to kill him, Moses fled to live in Midian where he sat down by a well. Just then, the seven daughters of a priest in Midian went to draw water for their father's flock. Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. Later Moses was invited to stayed with them and the father gave Moses his oldest daughter Zipporah, as his wife.

In the New Testament we do not find similar stories. However in the gospel of John chapter four, we read the story about Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. To that woman, Jesus not only told the eternal truth but also revealed to her his status as the Messiah. The dialogue at the well and its meaning have become an important part of the core faith of Christianity. Jesus proclaimed there, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14) Indeed, the water from the well is important to us, but whoever drinks the water shall be thirsty again. Better yet, the water given by God will quench our thirst for ever. Amen! 

***** 

Abridged from pg. 40-41, April 1996 issue of Overseas Campus Magazine  

Rev. Hsu was the chief editor for "Modern Chinese Version" of the Bible translation. He now resides in Massachusetts.