Petra jordan

The classical name Petra, and the early name...Petra History

The Nabatean Kingdome Petra was once the capital of the Edomians and became the Nabataean capital in the 5th century BC. Despite the numerous wars which struck the Middle East. The Nabatean people were successful in maintaining their independence from the big conquerors. I.e. The Ptolomeans, Seleukideans. Hasmonaeans and the Romans. Only in the year 106 AD did Emperor Trajan order the annexation of the Nabataean kingdom to the Imperium Romanum. In order to found the provincial Arabia. The country of origin of the nomadic tribe of the Nabatian. As they described they described themselves in their inscriptions. Themselves in their inscriptions. Is difficult to define. The Saudi-Arabia scholar Fr. Starcky pointed for the first time to the tribe of the "nabat" and "nabat'el" in the "Onomasticon" of this very region. He continued explaining his theory by saying that the Nabataeans could never have developed the control of the water, the irrigations and the terrace cuture, except in a country like Yemen, where the dam of the wonders of the world. But according to Assyrian chronicles the Nabatu tribes also turned up in the north-east of Arabia. In a new study J. T. Milik was thus searching for the original country of the Nabataeans between Kuwait and Mesopotamia. He considered. Therefore, the mention of the god of Sabu in the Nabataean inscription. According to his opinion. This country was quite mountainous and difficult to reach. After comparing the descriptions of tow Roman geographers Strabo and Claudius Ptolomaeus he assumed that the country Sabu was situated geographically on the higher plateau of the more than 2000 m high mountain Muteir which rises east-southeast of Kuwait. However Strabo (first century AD) describes the Sabaean as a "very large tribe" (Geographike, X VI, 4, 19). Sabu is the name of a tribe which occurs at the Thamudians. the Safaitians, the Nabataeans and even in modern Jordan, and not the name of a geographical area. However, in the middle Ages the names Nabat and Anbat are used by the Arabs to describe the Aramaean-speaking farmers from Mesopotamia. As a consequence. Authors like Quatremere. Doubt the Arabic origin of the Nabataeans. On the other hand. Contineau remarked that their "Onomasticon", their deities and especially their use of the article "al" all prove an Arabic origin and above all with regard to the religion major similarities with central Arabia are evident. For this reason contemporary scholars continue searching for their origin in the area between Mecca and Dedan (al-'Ula). However, researchs in the area of Arabia are still less worked out. According to Assyrian annals the Nabataeans could clearly have spread out into the north-east of Arabia; the Aramaean language was used for common communication and became the "lingua franca" in the Orient at the latest in the eighths century BC.

The Nabataeans Arrival at the Province Edom

In the sixth century BC the ravaged province Edom, which was struck by Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian deportations. Was occupied more and by the Arabic tribes. They controlled the spice trade. As they had to pay king Kambyses (530-522 BC) a tribute of thousand talents of incense (approximately 27 tons of it). Orotalt (Ruda), who was equivalent to Merkur, and Alilat-Urania or the divine Allat (according Herodot, III, 10) were regarded as their gods. Tow Arabic nomadic tribes related to the Nabataeans, i.e. Quedar and and Salamu. Were living in the south of Palestine (as recorded in the "Book of the Songs" by Abu al-Faraj al Isfahani). In the same text is descriptin of the caravans loaded with perfumes and how turned up from the desert (III.6). Anyway it seems that the Nabataeans entering into the provinces of Edom and south Palestine took place Quite took place quite peacefully since no signs of forcible destructions during the days of the Persians were found in the centre of Petra Jordan in the course of excavations in Umm al-Biyare nor in Tawilan in the north-east nor Buseira in the north. On the contrary, the British School of Archaeology noticed a continuity in the technique of ceramic during their excavations in Buseira. Even more, the holy shrine in Khirbet Tannour in Wadi Hesa remained to the Edomian god Qos. When Alexander the Great occupied the Harbour of Gaza he found large amounts of myrrh and essences of incense: he sent 500 talents of myrrh to his tutor Leonidas in memory of all the hopes he gave him in his childhood: it seems that indeed once during a sacrifice session Leonidas said to Alexander When seeing his hands full of incense ready to burn the following: "Alexander, as soon as you conquer the country which produces of such spices, you can use the essences up in this way but now you have to use them sparingly". (Plutarch. Vies. Ix. 25. 6-7). There is on doubt that Arabia's wealth was extremely demanded by the Greeks as well as by the Romans. Consequently Alexander's generals put up bloody fights to gain possession of the orient.

The Nabataeans and the Diadochians (312-64 BC)

After the death of his empire was at risk due to the power struggles among his strategists. Antigonos Monophtalmos. A general however believed in the reestablishment of former unity. After he had occupied Asia without any difficulties he thought that the Arabs would not oppose his supremacy and consequently in 312 BC he planned a campaign against the Nabataeans headed by his friend Athenaios. The particulars of this operation are unclear. Did Antogions try to cut off the connections between the Seleukids from Egypt because he expected a campaing? In this case the Palestinian coast could have greaty simplified his intentions. Actually, the prod Bedouins were the only ones who had neither obeyed Alexander nor the last rulers from Syria. Knowing to intimidate the Bedouins and ordered his general to attack these "barbarians" by surprise and to loot their cattle and wealth. At the beginning. Athenaions was successful in attacked the town with 4000 soldiers and 600 cavalrymen in a time when most of the men went to a market-place in the neighborhood. He took 500 talents of coins and a lot of myrrh and incense; then he hurried to return after he had killed many inhabitants. After walking about 37 km he pitched his camp for the night. But the Nabataeans. Who were informed about them in their sleep and slaughtered them mercilessly. Only 50 horsemen could escape, marked by their wounds. From Sicilia (first century BC) mentioned Hieronymus from Kardia. the Greek historian who worked for Antigonos and participated in his campaigns against the Nabataeans. as eyewitness. He left a detailed description of the Nabataeans and how they still lived as nomads in their "Petra Jordan" (rock):"It is a frightening stronghold with only one access path through which only one man fits with out his arms. there they keep all their treasures." This "Petra" is the mountain Umm el-Biyara whice rises south – west of the city centre. there on its extensive top C. M. Benetts excavations uncovered the first foundation wails of an Edomian settlement (8th till 7th century BC). one should not mix up this massif with the Biblican Sela where the Judaean King Amasias let plunge 10.000 Edomain prisoners into death (II kings. VIII. 20 -22) According to Starckys detailed investigations that castle is to be found in the north of Buseira below the village of Sela.

After the Nabataeans hed punished theseinsidious aggressors they wrote a letter in "Syrian" (Aramaean) letters to antigonos. In order to appease them the Diadochian Antigonos responded to them that they were right in defending themselves and that Athenaios had acted at his own risk. In the meanwhile he had already prepared the second campaign headed by his son Demetrios. the later Poliorketes. He allocatedhim 4000 soldiers and 4000 cavalrymen. But the Nabataeans had not been taken in: they sent their reconnaissance Patrol into the mountains. their flock into the desert and hid their treasure in the castle in the rocks while the enemies were approaching. When Demetrios entered this city he found it empty and occupied the castle Umm el-Biyara in vain since the Nabataeans were well stocked with water and food. A wise man finally convinced him to be content with gifts and hostages and to withdraw.On his way back he saw that the asphalt lake (the dead sea) also contained large amounts of bitumen which was exported to Egypt by the Nabataeans.

Consequently he decided to pocket this profit himself and appointed the historian Hieronymus from Cardia as caretaker of the Dead Sea. The Nabataeans, however, did not accept this and attacked the Greek fleet with 6000 warriors and destroyed it Finally Alexander drew a lesson from this event whereupon they did not venture to enter these areas of the proud desert Arabs and the "rock" as a consequence fell into oblivion again. Only in the 3rd century BC under the rule of the Ptolomaeans did the Nabataeans appear again in the Middle East. This is said in Zenon`s reports which were found in Fayoum. This Greek inhabitant from Kaunos in Asia was Apollonios` manger. Who himself was Ptolemaios II Philadelphos` minister of finance. He did inspection trips to Palestine and Trans – Jordan and kept up relations with the Tobiadians from tyros (Araq el-Emir. to the west of Amman). In 259BC Zenon supplied a Nabataean from Hauran, Rabilos, with rice. His substitutes also settled barters with the Nabataeans in the Negev.A Nabataean inscription of the 3rd century BC written by Aretas. one of the first Nabataean King. was found in Khalassa. More detailed information about the 2nd century can be found in the book of the Maccabaeans at Diodor from Sicilia (first century AD).

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