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A Brief History of Petra | ![]() |
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The next chapter of history belongs to the Persian period, and it is posited that during this time the Nabataeans migrated into Edom, forcing the Edomites to move into southern Palestine. But little is known about Petra proper until about 312 BC by which time the Nabataeans, one of many Arab tribes, occupied it and made it the capital of their kingdom. At this time, during the Hellenistic rule of the Seleucids, and later, the Ptolemies, the whole area flourished with increased trade and the establishment of new towns such as Philadelphia (Rabbath 'Ammon, modern Amman) and Gerasa (modern Jerash). Infighting between the Seleucids and Ptolemies allowed the Nabataeans to gain control over the caravan routes between Arabia and Syria. Although there were struggles between the Jewish Maccabeans and the Seleucid overlords, Nabataean trade continued.
But among the most remarkable of all Nabataean achievements is the hydraulic engineering systems they developed including water conservation systems and the dams that were constructed to divert the rush of swollen winter waters that create flash floods. In 64-63 BCE, the Nabataeans were conquered by the Roman general, Pompey, whose policy was to restore the cities taken by the Jews. However, he retained an independent Nabataea, although the area was taxed by the Romans and served as a buffer territory against the desert tribes. Completely subsumed by the Romans under the Emperor Trajan in 106 CE, Petra and Nabataea then became part of the Roman province known as Arabia Petraea with its capital at Petra. In 131 CE Hadrian, the Roman emperor, visited the site and named it after himself, Hadriane Petra. The city continued to flourish during the Roman period, with a Triumphal Arch spanning the Siq, and tomb structures either carved out of the living rock or built free-standing. Under Roman rule, Roman Classical monuments abounded many with Nabataean overtones.
Past ExcavationsAs one of the most spectacular sites in the Middle East, Petra has long attracted travelers and explorers. During the 19th century, the site was visited and documented by several Europeans, after J. L. Burckhardt’s initial visit. A synthesis of the site was published by Libbey and Hoskins in 1905, presenting one of the first overviews in print. Archaeological excavations began in earnest at the turn of the century, with the earliest scientific expedition being published in Arabia Petraea in 1907, by A. Musil. In the 1920's R. E. Brünnow and A. von Domaszewski surveyed the site and published an ambitious mapping project in their Die Provincia Arabia. This survey has since undergone many necessary revisions, the most recent of which was published by Judith McKenzie in 1990.
The Great Temple
was first explored by Brünnow and von Domaszewski, but it was Bachmann,
in his revision of the Petra city plan, who postulated the existence of
a “Great Temple,” aligned with the Colonnade Street, lying on the hillside
to the south. He speculated that the temple was approached through a monumental
Propylaeum with a grand staircase leading into a colonnaded, terraced
Lower Temenos, or sacred precinct. Another broad monumental stairway led
to a second, Upper Temenos. At its center was the temple, with yet another
flight of stairs leading into the temple proper. While no standing structures
were revealed before these excavations, the site is littered with architectural
fragments, including column drums, probably toppled by one of the earthquakes
which rocked the site. Given the promise of the Great Temple precinct
and its importance in understanding Petra’s architectural and intercultural
history, it is remarkable that it remained unexcavated until 1993 when
the Brown University investigations began. |
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Copyright© 1999 Brown University