Nabataeans
The Nabataeans ( proper name Nabatu, AltGr. Nαβαταῖοι, lat Nabataei ) was a composite of ancient northwestern Arabian nomadic tribes.
History
Probably migrated from the Nabataeans in the 1st millennium BC of Arabia in the area between the Red and the Dead Sea a. 587 BC the Edomites migrated from East Jordan to Palestine. Shortly thereafter ( around 550 BC ) moved the Nabataeans in Transjordan and the area around a Petra. Perhaps the Nabataeans also sold the Edomites. As a caravan traders controlled the Nabataeans to a greater extent the trade routes to South Arabia and won so from the 4th century BC considerable economic and political power. After Antigonus I Monophthalmos had tried unsuccessfully to fight 312 BC, they extended their sphere of influence from Syria. The historian Diodorus ( 1st century BC) wrote the following:
In the period from 150 BC to 105 AD they came together to form a kingdom Nabataea, which stretched from the Sinai Peninsula to northern Arabia. By 85 BC the Nabataeans conquered under King Aretas III. Damascus. Under Pompey they became Roman vassals (63 BC), Aretas was still able to maintain the unity of his empire. Only under Trajan lost the Nabataeans 106 AD their relative independence and were incorporated as a Roman province of Arabia Petraea to the Roman Empire.
In the 19th century it was assumed in the Nabataeans the descendants of the grandson of Abraham Nebaioth. This hypothesis, however, proved to be historically untenable.
Geography
Major cities of the Nabataeans were the capital of Petra in present-day Jordan, Bosra in Syria today and the commercial metropolis Hegra ( Mada'in Salih today ). Archaeological relatively well developed are also Avdat ( Oboda ) Mamshit ( Mampsis ) Nizzana ( Nessana ) and Schivta ( Soboda ) in Israel today. Oboda, Elusa ( Khalutza ) and Nessana were probably the first commercial cities of the Nabataeans. It was only later, Rehovot, Mampsis and Sobata were founded.
Economy
Exceptional was the irrigation system of the Nabataeans. In order to operate in the extremely arid climate agriculture, they accumulated precipitation from the environment and led them to the fields. The ratio of arable area used to total rain collection area was 1:10 to 1:20. The irrigation techniques, the so-called fall of water Construction of the Nabataeans, were studied in the 20th century by Michael Evenari of the University of Jerusalem.
Another lucrative source of income of the Nabataeans was trade with clumps of tar, aufschwammen in the Dead Sea. This tar was exported mainly to Egypt where it is used, among others, in the embalming process.
Religion
Chief god of the Nabataeans was Duschara ( nabat. dwšr ʾ ). al - ˤ Uzza was the main goddess.
Kings of the Nabataeans
- Natnu (around 650 BC)
- Nuhuru ibn Natnu