Expeditions

Avdat of the Nabateans

The prospect of long drives through the hot, dusty desert discourages many people from visiting the Negev. But the marvelous ruins of great civilizations make the trip more than worth the effort.

Consider the Nabateans. A mysterious Arab people of unknown origin, they are first mentioned in a document from 312 B.C.E. In time, they came to dominate Transjordan, the Negev and, most important of all, the spice routes connecting Arabia with the Mediterranean. When the apostle Paul traveled to Damascus, it was the Nabateans who controlled the city (2 Corinthians 11:32).

A Desert Kingdom

Great cities dotted the routes controlled by the Nabateans: Petra, Shivta, Nizzana, Halutza, Mamshit. All are easily accessible today by good roads from Beersheba and all are astonishing. The most impressive of all the Negev cities is Avdat (also known as Oboda), which looms above the main desert road—from Petra to Gaza—perched on a cliff 2,000 feet above sea level.