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Hazel
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Mamshit
Mamshit, a Nabatean city in
the Negev near the modern town of Dimona , rose to
prominence because of its location on the Incense Route and the road connecting the
Mountains of Edom in Transjordan via the Arava Valley
to Beer Sheva and north to Hebron
and Jerusalem .
At 40 dunams (10 acres), Mamshit is the smallest of the Negev 's
Nabatean cities. It is also the best restored, its once-opulent dwellings
featuring architectural elements unknown in other Nabatean cities.
A settlement was first
established here during the middle Nabatean period, in the 1st
century CE. Most of the city’s buildings
– mainly grand private dwellings – were built in the next century, after the
Nabatean kingdom was annexed to Rome
in 106 CE. A wall was built around the
city in the 3rd century and at the beginning of the 5th
century 2 churches were built. After the
Persian invasion in 614 and the Arab conquest in 636, the city ceased to exist.
In 1936 the British built a
police station for their camel-back desert patrols, to monitor the Bedouin and
prevent Jews from settling the area. In
1966 the site was declared a national park and in 2005 a UNESCO World Heritage
Site, as part of the Incense Route .
The
Khans
These 2 large complexes were
built outside the city in the 1st-4th centuries CE. They probably served as inns for the
commercial caravans passing through the region.
There are also remains of graves residents of Mamshit and Roman soldiers
outside the walls.
The
Gate
This was built during the
late Roman period, when the city was surrounded by a 900 metre long wall. The wall was widened during the Byzantine
period after the earthquake of 363. The
gate consisted of 2 towers and a passage, whose ceiling was supported by 3
arches. It was burnt and destroyed in
the 7th century.
The
Tower
This is a square structure,
originally 3 stories tall. On the ground
floor a well-preserved room was found with typical Nabatean arches to support
the stone ceiling slabs. A stairwell
leads to the second storey, from which there is a view of ancient Mamshit, the
Mamshit Streem, the ancient dam, Mount
Tzayad in the south and
Dimona in the west.
The
Western Church – Church of St Nilus
& Eastern Church – Church of the Martyrs
These churches are similar in
type to those found at Avdat. They have
impressive mosaic floors.
Typical
Nabatean Dwellng
In the centre of the house is
a courtyard with a cistern. A stairwell
led to the 2nd storey. The
courtyard had a passage to the stable, which could accommodate 16 horses. It is thought the people of Mamshit raised
Arabian horses for a livelihood.
The
Market
This is a Nabatean street,
with a row of rooms on either side, which served as shops. Today, on holidays, this street is turned
into a market.
The
Public Reservoir
The reservoir, which was
roofed, is located near the city wall and measures 3 x 10 x 18 metres. It filled with rainwater that flowed though a
channel outside the city. The channel
can be seen passing beneath the wall and continuing towards the reservoir.
The
Byzantine Bathhouse
This is located next to the
reservoir and supplied by its water. It
contained 3 rooms, a hot room, a tepid room and a dressing and furnace
room. The red bricks and clay pipes
through which hot air flowed to heat the rooms can still be seen.
Mamshit
Stream and the Dams
In and around the city were
many water collection installations:
channels, cisterns and dams.
These largest of these were the 3 dams built by the Nabateans on the
Mamshit stream. Today only the lower
Nabatean dam can be seen. The British
restored it and built another dam further downstream.
Labels:
Church of the Martyrs,
guide,
Israel,
Mamshit,
Negev,
South Israel,
The Gate,
The Khans,
The Tower
Byzantine Remains
The
bathhouse
This structure dates from the
4th century CE and is amazingly well preserved. It contains a dressing room, cold room, tepid
room, 2 hot rooms and furnaces. The
presence of a bathhouse in this area attests to the inhabitants’ high standard
of living. The water came from a nearby
well nearly 70 m deep. At the top of the
well is a pool from which a water channel led in the direction of the bath
house.
The
Byzantine Quarter
This Byzantine residential
quarter was first established during the Roman period. It consists of a central street with
dwellings on both sides. The street had
a system of channels and cisterns for collecting rainwater. The quarter was destroyed in the earthquake
of 630.
The
Wine Press
The grapes were brought here
from the vineyards and placed in storage cells built around the treading floor. An underground channel led from the treading
floor to a round vat for juice collection.
The juice was then transferred to vessels and stored in caves, where it
fermented into wine. 5 wine presses have
been found in Avdat, attesting to a flourishing wine-making industry during the
Byzantine period.
The
City Fortress
The fortress is 43 x 63 m and
was built during the Byzantine period.
It served as a gathering place and refuge for the inhabitants in time of
danger. At the centre is a large cistern,
fed by water channels that collected surface runoff. On the north side is a prayer chapel.
The
Nabatean Temples & Church Plaza
A number of inscriptions were
found on the acropolis, attesting to the presence of a temple or number of
temples here. The earliest inscriptions
are Nabatean, from the 1st century BCE . The latest inscription is in Greek, from the
3rd century CE. 2 churches
were built in this area during the Byzantine period, the Church of St. Theodoros
to the south and the cathedral to the north.
Byzantine churches were
usually rectangular, on an east-west axis.
They had 3 areas, the Atrium, which was open to everyone, the Basilica,
where worship took place and was open only to Christians, and in between the
Nartex, which was a passageway between
the 2. There were always openings in the
wall of the Basilica, so non-Christians could watch the service.
The
Southern Church
This church had 2 rows of
columns (like a basilica) and was part of a monastery. A number of tombs were found in the floor of
the church, covered with marble slabs and bearing inscriptions from 541-618
CE. The earliest inscription mentioned
the tomb of the martyr St Thoedoros.
The
Northern Church
The city’s cathedral and 2
earlier churches. The walls of this
church contain many Nabatean building stones that were re-used. The pedestal of
the altar is inscribed with the names Elijah and John, and a small marble box
for relics of saints was found.
Baptistery
This is a large cruciform baptistery,
where adults were immersed. It shows
that the Nabateans converted to Christianity.
Next to it is a small baptistery for babies.
Lookout
Platform
At the northwestern end of
Avdat is a lookout platform, situated on the ruins of a Nabatean temple. The platform affords a spectacular view of
the slopes of the city, the bathhouse, the ancient agricultural areas, the
cisterns and the Negev highlands.
The
Caves
Hundreds of dwellings were
built on the western slopes of Avdat, in front of and behind many rock-hewn
caves. The caves were for the storage of
agricultural produce and sometimes as dwellings in the hot summers.
The
Reconstructed Byzantine House
This house and the large cave
in its back portion show an example of a dwelling in the city of caves. The entrance leads to a courtyard surrounded
by rooms. One room apparently served as
a toilet. The cave has 2 storage rooms
dug into the rock, where wheat was stored, fruit was dried and wine
produced. A cross is carved into the
ceiling and the heads of bulls and a cluster of grapes are carved in the upper
corners.
Labels:
Byzantine Remains,
guide,
Israel,
Negev,
South Israel
Location:
Negev, Beersheba, Israel
Advdat
In the Negev Highlands, at
the edge of the Avdat plateau and above the Nahal Tzin
basin, is the ancient city of Avdat . The desert climate and only 80 mm rain
a year were no barrier, in every stream valley and on every mountain slope they
developed traditional agriculture, based on the collection of surface runoff in
hidden cisterns.
The city of Avdat
was founded in the 3rd century BCE . It was station number 62 along the Incense Route .
The name is from the Nabatean king Oboda (30-9 BCE ), who was buried there. It was destroyed by
marauding Arab tribes in the second half of the first century CE. Later, the
last Nabatean king, Rabbel (70-106 CE), rebuilt Avdat. In 106 CE the Roman Empire took over the region, and Avdat continued to
flourish until the seventh-century Arab conquest. It became part of the road and defense system of the Roman Empire ,
developing residential quarters and public buildings.
Avdat reached the height of
its development during the Byzantine period (4-7th centuries CE),
with the construction of churches and numerous other buildings and the
expansion of agriculture. At its peek in
the Byzantine period, the population was about 3000. Viticulture became an important part of the
city’s agriculture from the 4th century CE. Cisterns were hewn, and many of the caves on
the slope reused, mainly as workshops to process and store agricultural
produce. The city was finally abandoned
after an earthquake around 630 CE.
The Nabateans who inhabited
Avdat were an ancient people of Arab origin.
They were originally nomadic tent-dwellers and later moved to permanent
settlements. Their livelihood was based
on commerce in the incense and spices they purchased in southern Arabia and the Far East ,
which they transported by camel caravans to Gaza on the shores of the Meditterannean for
export. In addition they also marketed
asphalt from the Dead Sea to the Egyptians for
mummification and later to the Romans.
The Nabatean kingdom, whose
capital was Petra ,
included northern Arabia , Moab , the Hauran, the Negev and Sinai.
In 106 CE the annexation of the Nabatean kingdom to the Roman Provincia
Arabia did no harm to their economic development and their cities continued to
flourish.
During the Byzantine period
settlement in the Negev reached its peak –
roads were developed and fortresses constructed, churches were built and
agricultural areas created. The
Nabateans gradually adopted Christianity, and inscriptions in Greek replaced
the use of Nabatean script. The major
plague that struck the Negev of the 6th
century CE, the Persian conquest in 614-628 and the Arab takeover of the Negev in 636 brought about a decline in the security and
economic situation of the Negev and the cities
were abandoned.
On the side of the hill
remains of the first Nabatean settlement of Avdat can be seen. These are stones laid in the shape of tents,
which were probably used to secure their tents, and many ceramic shards.
Roman
Remains
The
Burial Cave
This is a burial cave dug
into the rock, dating from the 3rd century CE. The inner room contains more than 20 burial
niches. At the front of the cave was an
entry structure, and on the lintel are reliefs depicting the sun, the moon and
an altar. Excavators used to believe the
cave was the burial place of King Oboda.
However, later 3 Greek inscriptions with women’s names were found,
raising the possibility that those buried here were priestesses of Aphrodite.
The
Southern Villa
This is a lone villa on the
southern end of the Avdat ridge. Its
many rooms were built around a square courtyard, at the centre of which is a
cistern.
The
Roman Tower
This structure is from the 3rd
century CE and is notable for its special architecture. Above the entrance and inscription in Greek
reads: “With good fortune Zeus Obada, help Irenius
who built this tower with good augers in the year 188 with the help of the
architect Wailos of Petra and Avtichos”.
Years were counted from the
establishment of Provincia Arabia in 106 CE, and therefore the tower’s
construction was in 294 CE. It was
apparently a lookout tower.
The
Army Camp
This was uncovered in
excavations in 1977 and 1999. It is 100
x 100 metres and contained 8 long multi-chambered structures that could
accommodate a few hundred soldiers. At
the centre of each side was a gate, and guard towers protruded along the walls.
Labels:
Advdat,
guide,
Israel,
Negev,
South Israel
Location:
Israel
Nabatean Towns In The Negev
BEDOUIN
Bedouin are nomads, or
rather, used to be nomads, as all the Bedouin in Israel are now settled. Some live in un-official settlements along
the roadsides, in wooden or metal sided buildings. They also have 7 towns with permanent
buildings and infra-structure.
The Bedouin came to Israel in
several waves, starting in the Nabatean era.
Further waves came in the Early Moslem period and again in the Ottoman
period. Before independence in 1948 there were 60,000
Bedouin. After the War of Independence
only 12,000 remained as all the others had left. Today their numbers have increased to approx
200,000 in the Negev around Arad , Dimona and Beersheva, 30,000 in the
centre of the country and 60,000 in the north.
They were subject to military rule from 1948 to 1967.
There are 2 main lines of
Bedouin, one descended from Ishmael and one from Yocton. In 1952, the Bedouin lost their right to
lands outside the Arad ,
Dimona, Beersheva triangle. In 1974 they
were granted Israeli citizenship. Most
Bedouin are poor, and they are moving away from farming. There is a lot of crime. They are polygamists and revenge is an
essential part of their culture.
Bedouin tents are made of
goat’s wool, which is very oily. In
summer the fabric breathes and in winter it becomes waterproof against the
rain. There are 2 areas in each tent,
one for men and one for women. A white
flag flying outside a tent signals there’s a wedding inside.
The receiving of guests is
most important to Bedouin. The residents
of the tent stand outside to greet guests.
A guest is welcome to stay for up to 3 days with no questions asked.
THE
INCENSE ROUTE
The Incense Route – Desert Cities of the Negev ” was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
2005. The route runs from Moa in the
Arava to Avdat in the Negev highlands (about
65 km), and includes the ancient cities of Avdat, Halutza, Shivta and Mamshit. Most of the road is included in the Tzinim
Cliff Nature Reserve and the cities are national parks.
The Incense route started in Oman and Yemen and
extended 2,400 kms, passing through Saudi Arabia , Jordan and the Negev . It ends at
the port of Gaza .
It was a busy road from the 3rd century BCE to the 4th century CE.
The road was listed as a
World Heritage site under the following UNESCO criteria:
The Incense Route is unique testimony to a
culture that has disappeared.
The Nabatean cities and
commercial routes constitute persuasive evidence of the economic, social and
cultural significance of incense – frankincense and myrrh – and of spices and
various merchandise transported from the Far East
and Arabian Peninsular to the Hellenstic and Roman worlds. In addition to the road’s commercial nature,
it also impacted ancient cultures, bring people and worldviews together.
The road is a globally
valuable and extraordinary example of traditional land use.
The silent remains of the
cities, the forts, the road and the milestones, the caravansaries and the
sophisticated agricultural systems along the Incense Route in the Negev
are an extraordinary example of the hospitable desert environment that
flourished here for 700 years.
The Roman historian, Pliny
the Elder, described the route in the first century CE in “Historia Naturalis”:
“After the
frankincense is collected, it is conveyed by camel to Sabota, and one of the
gates of the city is opened to receive the merchandise. The kings enacted a permanent law that it is
a serious crime for a camel bearing frankincense to divert from the main
road. In Sabota, the priests levy a
tithe on the frankincense for the god known as Sabis, and it is not permitted to
bring the medicaments to the market before the payment of the tithe. In fact, this was done to cover public
expenses, because on certain days of the year, the god hosts grand feasts. From here, the merchandise may be conveyed
through the land of the Gebbanites only, and therefore, tax must be paid to the
king of this people as well. Their
capital is Thomna, which is 1487 miles (2380 km) from Gaza in Judea ,
located on the coast of the Mediterranean . The journey is divided into 65 stages (36.6
km each), at each of which is a rest station for the camels. Regular portions of frankincense must be paid
to the priests of the lands, their kings, and their scribes. In addition, portions are also taken by
guards at gates and their servants. In
addition to these, they must pay all the way, in one place for water, elsewhere
for a place at the way station, and also for food. Thus expenses come to 688 denarii even before
reaching the Mediterranean . Then our imperial tax official must be paid
again. Because of this, the price of
good frankincense can be 6 denarii per litre, average frankincense can be 5
denarii, and the third type can be 3 denarii.”
Labels:
guide,
Israel,
Nabatean Towns,
Negev,
South Israel
Location:
Nabatean House, Israel
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