Tour of the Nabatean city Avdat |
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Avdat Nabatean City Avdat was a important Nabatean city along the Spice Route. It was built in the 4th century BCE as a place of rest and protection for traders traveling along the Spice Route. Avdat is named after the Nabatean King Obodas who was revered and according to tradition was buried there. The city reached its glory days in the Byzantine period and had about 3,000 inhabitants mostly Nabateans who converted to Christianity. Most of the ruins are from this period in which the city expanded into the western slope . Hundreds of caves have been found that were used for living and storage. Many of them contained Christian crosses etched into the stone walls and ceiling. Other Byzantine remains include wine presses, a farmhouse, and an impressive bathhouse, the inhabitants of Avdat enjoyed life and knew a taste of luxury.
Nabatean History Finally the Romans succeeded ,in the year 106 AD, to annex the Nabatean kingdom. In the Byzantine period the Nabatean mostly lived from agriculture which flourished in the area and was their main source of income. The Spice Route stations in the Negev such as: Avdat, Mamshit, Halutza, Shivta, Nitzana turned into cities: With the Islamic conquest in the 7 AD the Nabatean were absorbed completely into the Islamic world and the Nabatean entity disappeared from the pages of history. |