The Negev (Hebrew: נֶגֶב, Tiberian vocalization: Néḡeḇ) is the esert region of southern Israel. The indigenous Bedouin citizens of the region refer to the desert as an-Naqab (Arabic: النقب). The origin of the word Negev is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'. In the Bible the word Negev is also used for the direction 'south'.