The city of Petra is located in Ma'an Governate about 300 kilometres south of Amman. Though it is referred to several times in the Bible by the
Hebrew term Sela' (meaning 'rock'), its original name in antiquity is still unknown to us. The Greek name Petra is simply a direct translation from the
Hebrew word used in the Bible. Its Arab name, on the other hand, derives from the name of the river, which flows down the valley: the Wadi Mousa
(River of Moses). The Petra area was already known to nomadic groups in Palaeolithic times ( 11 th millennium BC). The first settlements date back
to the Neolithic Age (8th millennium BC), for which there is evidence of extensive agricultural and pastoral activity at el-Beidha, a little to the north of
the future urban area. The earliest villages for which there are any concrete archaeological remains date back to the Chalcolithic period (4500-3200
BC) and to the Bronze Age (3200-1200), when nomadic tribes of herdsmen coexisted alongside the farming communities settled in the area. These
settlements eventually entered into a period of decline, after which the plain of Petra was once again occupied in about 1500 BC by the Orites, who
inhabited the caves in the Mountainsides.
Hebrew term Sela' (meaning 'rock'), its original name in antiquity is still unknown to us. The Greek name Petra is simply a direct translation from the
Hebrew word used in the Bible. Its Arab name, on the other hand, derives from the name of the river, which flows down the valley: the Wadi Mousa
(River of Moses). The Petra area was already known to nomadic groups in Palaeolithic times ( 11 th millennium BC). The first settlements date back
to the Neolithic Age (8th millennium BC), for which there is evidence of extensive agricultural and pastoral activity at el-Beidha, a little to the north of
the future urban area. The earliest villages for which there are any concrete archaeological remains date back to the Chalcolithic period (4500-3200
BC) and to the Bronze Age (3200-1200), when nomadic tribes of herdsmen coexisted alongside the farming communities settled in the area. These
settlements eventually entered into a period of decline, after which the plain of Petra was once again occupied in about 1500 BC by the Orites, who
inhabited the caves in the Mountainsides.
Petra, facades with double crow steps frieze in outer Siq, next to the theatre
They were ousted in 13th century BC by a Semite people known in the Bible as the Edomites, who by about 1200 BC were living stably on the
mountain of Umm el-Biyara ('mother of cisterns', 1160 meters ), located to the south-west of the subsequent urban area. We are not sure exactly
when, but probably from the 7th - 6th century BC onwards, the Edomites were forced to leave the area and move north in response to pressure from
the Nabatean, an Arab, Aramaic-speaking people, consisting of caravan traders and nomadic herdsmen. They gradually settled down and made
Petra their capital, taking advantage of the place's favourable conditions, the ease with which it could be de- defended and its position of
considerable advantage for commercial exchanges with the East. The earliest historical reference to the Nabatean dates back to 312 BC, when
Alexander the Great's generals Antigonus "Monophthalmus and Demetrius Polliorcetes attempted to subdue Petra on more than one occasion, I but
without success. The Kingdom of the Nabatean managed to preserve its independence of both the Seleucids in Syria and the Ptolemies in Egypt
throughout the whole of the Hellenistic age, which gives some indication of the strength of its military capacity, in addition to its great economic
prosperity. Subsequent written sources mentioning the Nabatean derive mainly from the two Books of the Maccabees in the Bible, which give
accounts of relations between Maccabees and Nabatean. The Nabatean people had originally been organized as a confederation of tribes led by a
sheik, but some point between the late 3rd century BC and the early 2nd century BC they adopted a monarchical system. The first king known to us
was Aretas I, who reined between 170-160 BC and whose deeds are related in 2 Maccabees. Of his successors, Aretas II (115-96 BC) and Obodas I
(96-89/87 BC) contributed to the kingdom’s expansion at the expense of the Seleucids. The Nabatean state achieved its greatest geographical
extension under Aretas III (88-62 BC), who managed to strike a peace treaty with the Judeans. At this point it stretched all the way from Damascus in
the north down to the Red Sea port of Leuke Kome in the south. When the Romans conquered Syria under Pompey in 63 BC, the Nabatean
Kingdom managed to preserve its independence, losing only a part of its northern territory. In addition to the pax romana, good relations with Rome
during the reign of Obodas II (62-61 BC), Malchus I (59-30 BC), and Obodas III (30-9 BC) were an enormous aid to the development of trade. This
was certainly the Nabatean’ main resource, and in addition to the Petra’s strategic position they also exploited the knowledge acquired from their
nomadic inheritance and their contacts with the ports of southern Arabia. Indeed, the city was located at the very point at which the great south-north
trade route from Arabia and Egypt to the Mediterranean ports intersected with the westward trade route form the Far East: the main products traded
were spices, precious stones, silk, myrrh, incense and asphalt from the Dead Sea. There is evidence for this period of scattered Nabatean trading
communities in important port cities both in Egypt and the East (Sidon), and in the West (Pozzuoli, Rome). The prosperity of the Nabatean Kingdom
reached it’s peak under Aretas IV (8 BC - 40 AD), a contemporary of the emperor Augustus and of Herod, King of Judea: it was in this period that the
main monuments were put up in Petra, thanks to the great wealth it had accumulated through trade, in particular that of luxury goods bound for
Rome.
mountain of Umm el-Biyara ('mother of cisterns', 1160 meters ), located to the south-west of the subsequent urban area. We are not sure exactly
when, but probably from the 7th - 6th century BC onwards, the Edomites were forced to leave the area and move north in response to pressure from
the Nabatean, an Arab, Aramaic-speaking people, consisting of caravan traders and nomadic herdsmen. They gradually settled down and made
Petra their capital, taking advantage of the place's favourable conditions, the ease with which it could be de- defended and its position of
considerable advantage for commercial exchanges with the East. The earliest historical reference to the Nabatean dates back to 312 BC, when
Alexander the Great's generals Antigonus "Monophthalmus and Demetrius Polliorcetes attempted to subdue Petra on more than one occasion, I but
without success. The Kingdom of the Nabatean managed to preserve its independence of both the Seleucids in Syria and the Ptolemies in Egypt
throughout the whole of the Hellenistic age, which gives some indication of the strength of its military capacity, in addition to its great economic
prosperity. Subsequent written sources mentioning the Nabatean derive mainly from the two Books of the Maccabees in the Bible, which give
accounts of relations between Maccabees and Nabatean. The Nabatean people had originally been organized as a confederation of tribes led by a
sheik, but some point between the late 3rd century BC and the early 2nd century BC they adopted a monarchical system. The first king known to us
was Aretas I, who reined between 170-160 BC and whose deeds are related in 2 Maccabees. Of his successors, Aretas II (115-96 BC) and Obodas I
(96-89/87 BC) contributed to the kingdom’s expansion at the expense of the Seleucids. The Nabatean state achieved its greatest geographical
extension under Aretas III (88-62 BC), who managed to strike a peace treaty with the Judeans. At this point it stretched all the way from Damascus in
the north down to the Red Sea port of Leuke Kome in the south. When the Romans conquered Syria under Pompey in 63 BC, the Nabatean
Kingdom managed to preserve its independence, losing only a part of its northern territory. In addition to the pax romana, good relations with Rome
during the reign of Obodas II (62-61 BC), Malchus I (59-30 BC), and Obodas III (30-9 BC) were an enormous aid to the development of trade. This
was certainly the Nabatean’ main resource, and in addition to the Petra’s strategic position they also exploited the knowledge acquired from their
nomadic inheritance and their contacts with the ports of southern Arabia. Indeed, the city was located at the very point at which the great south-north
trade route from Arabia and Egypt to the Mediterranean ports intersected with the westward trade route form the Far East: the main products traded
were spices, precious stones, silk, myrrh, incense and asphalt from the Dead Sea. There is evidence for this period of scattered Nabatean trading
communities in important port cities both in Egypt and the East (Sidon), and in the West (Pozzuoli, Rome). The prosperity of the Nabatean Kingdom
reached it’s peak under Aretas IV (8 BC - 40 AD), a contemporary of the emperor Augustus and of Herod, King of Judea: it was in this period that the
main monuments were put up in Petra, thanks to the great wealth it had accumulated through trade, in particular that of luxury goods bound for
Rome.
A part of the Siq, the only entrance to Petra. On the rock walls are still visible gabalus granted it the status of traces of the
conduit which brought the precious water of Wadi Mousa right to the colony, in the early 3rd century.
conduit which brought the precious water of Wadi Mousa right to the colony, in the early 3rd century.
A massive feat of hydraulic engineering was also carried out in the desert around the city, with the carving of channels out of the rock and the
construction of earthenware pipes, dams and cisterns for the collection of water, both in order to supply the urban area and to irrigate the
surrounding farmland. Malchus II (40-70 AD), who succeeded Aretas IV; pursued a policy of friendly relations with the Romans and may have become
a client king, helping Vespasian and Titus to conquer Jerusalem in 70 AD. When the Province of Arabia was annexed by Trajan on the death of the
last Nabatean king, Rabbel II (106 AD), an imperial legate was installed in Petra. The Roman occupation did not interrupt the city's development; on
the contrary, trade prospered thanks to Trajan's improvement of the ancient road running from Syria to the Red Sea, now referred to as the Via Nova
Traiana. In 129 AD Hadrian bestowed the title 'Hadriana' on the city and, later on, the emperor Elagablaus granted in the status of colony, in the early
3rd century AD. When Diocletian reformed the provinces in 293 AD, Petra became the capital of, which included only the southern part of the
previous province: the isolation of the southern territories was dictated by strategic considerations, in particular the constant threat posed by the
nomads, who at this point were the reason for the city's decline. It was probably during this period of political uncertainty that the city acquired its ring
of walls, of which some traces are preserved to the north. There was a devastating earthquake on 19 May 363 AD, after which some buildings, such
as the theatre and the sanctuary of the Qasr El-bent, were never rebuilt. Nevertheless, certain dwellings, the shops built along the Colonnade Street
and the conversion of some of the rock-hewn tombs into churches show that Petra still enjoyed considerable prosperity in the Byzantine period, up
until the 6th century AD. We do not know the exact means by which Christianity took root in the city, but during the 4th century AD it became a
bishopric. However, there are several indications that urban life was already in decline. After another earthquake in 551 AD and conquest by the
Arabs in 636 AD, the city was deserted and sank slowly into oblivion, with the exception of a brief period of occupation by the Crusaders in the 12th
century. Petra's 'rediscovery' by the West was due to the Swiss explorer J. L. Burckhardt, who visited the site on 21th of August 1812. This discovery
was initially kept secret, only to be divulged ten years later when the explorer's travel diaries (Travels in Syria) were published some time after his
death in 1817. The city was subsequently described by many travellers of various nationalities (C. L. lrby, J. Mangles, L. de Laborde, E. Robinson, D.
Roberts), but it was only in 1865 that Palestine became the object of scientific study, and systematic archaeological excavations were thus also
conducted in Petra.
construction of earthenware pipes, dams and cisterns for the collection of water, both in order to supply the urban area and to irrigate the
surrounding farmland. Malchus II (40-70 AD), who succeeded Aretas IV; pursued a policy of friendly relations with the Romans and may have become
a client king, helping Vespasian and Titus to conquer Jerusalem in 70 AD. When the Province of Arabia was annexed by Trajan on the death of the
last Nabatean king, Rabbel II (106 AD), an imperial legate was installed in Petra. The Roman occupation did not interrupt the city's development; on
the contrary, trade prospered thanks to Trajan's improvement of the ancient road running from Syria to the Red Sea, now referred to as the Via Nova
Traiana. In 129 AD Hadrian bestowed the title 'Hadriana' on the city and, later on, the emperor Elagablaus granted in the status of colony, in the early
3rd century AD. When Diocletian reformed the provinces in 293 AD, Petra became the capital of, which included only the southern part of the
previous province: the isolation of the southern territories was dictated by strategic considerations, in particular the constant threat posed by the
nomads, who at this point were the reason for the city's decline. It was probably during this period of political uncertainty that the city acquired its ring
of walls, of which some traces are preserved to the north. There was a devastating earthquake on 19 May 363 AD, after which some buildings, such
as the theatre and the sanctuary of the Qasr El-bent, were never rebuilt. Nevertheless, certain dwellings, the shops built along the Colonnade Street
and the conversion of some of the rock-hewn tombs into churches show that Petra still enjoyed considerable prosperity in the Byzantine period, up
until the 6th century AD. We do not know the exact means by which Christianity took root in the city, but during the 4th century AD it became a
bishopric. However, there are several indications that urban life was already in decline. After another earthquake in 551 AD and conquest by the
Arabs in 636 AD, the city was deserted and sank slowly into oblivion, with the exception of a brief period of occupation by the Crusaders in the 12th
century. Petra's 'rediscovery' by the West was due to the Swiss explorer J. L. Burckhardt, who visited the site on 21th of August 1812. This discovery
was initially kept secret, only to be divulged ten years later when the explorer's travel diaries (Travels in Syria) were published some time after his
death in 1817. The city was subsequently described by many travellers of various nationalities (C. L. lrby, J. Mangles, L. de Laborde, E. Robinson, D.
Roberts), but it was only in 1865 that Palestine became the object of scientific study, and systematic archaeological excavations were thus also
conducted in Petra.
| © Copyright 2011 by EyeJordan. All photos, graphics, images and stories are the property of EyeJordan and cannot be used without permission. |
| The New 7 Wonders of the world were announced during the Official declaration ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday, July 7th, 2007. The new7wonders of the world, as announced in random order at the Official Declaration ceremony on 07.07.07, are: The Great Wall of China, Petra, Chichen Itza, The Statue of Christ Redeemer, the Colosseum, Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal. |
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