Southern Israel - The Negev

Southern Israel-The Negev

South Israel - the Negev

Highlights of the awesome Negev includes the ruins of the ancient Biblical city of Beer Sheba, the lost desert cities of the ancient incense road: Avdat, Haluza, Mamshit and Shivta, Ein Avdat and the canyon, oasis and Vulture nesting ground of Zin Creek, Ramon the world’s largest geological crater, Hay-Bar Nature reserve preserving the wildlife of the Negev, and Eilat Israel’s port, resort and coral reef on the Red Sea. The ancient historical figures and nations of the Negev includes: Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, Isaac, the Amonites, the Israelites, the Nabateans and the Romans.

Beer sheba

Beer Sheba

The ruins of the ancient Beer Sheba can be found below the Judean mountains - the northern edge of the Negev desert is accessed near the intersection of Highways 60 and 40. Beer Sheba came to represent the southern tip of ancient Israel, with Dan representing the northern end “from Beersheba to Dan” (1 Ch 21:2). The well outside the city gates is the deepest well found in Israel at over 69 m in depth.

The name Beer Sheba, meaning “Well of the Oath” comes from the covenant Abraham made with Abimelech giving Abraham title to the well (Gen. 21:19) - water rights being all important in that region . After the conquering of the land by the Israelites it was it was assigned to the tribe of Simeon and is mentioned in relation to Samuel, Elijah and David among others. Much later, from the 1st century B.C.E. on Beer Sheba was a final rest station on the northern Incense route from Petra to Gaza.

En -Avdat National Park

En - Avdat

En -Avdat National Park, named after the nearby city of Avdat, is a fantastic canyon, oasis and waterfall nature preserve. Caves inhabited during Byzantium times line the canyon walls with ferns, reeds and Euphrates Poplar trees surrounding the Tsin stream. Vultures nest in the canyon, and can sometimes be spotted soaring overhead while Ibexes are the most commonly seen mammals.

The Incense Route - Nagev Desert Cities - Avdat

The Incense Route - Avdat

In the 3th century B.C.E. the Nabateans, initially a group of nomadic tribes, had formed a kingdom and established their capital in Petra. By the first century B.C.E. their Kingdom had extended from Damascus in the north to the Nagev desert in the south, and it was through the Nagev that they controlled an important part of the lucrative incense route beginning in the Arabian Peninsula and ending on the Mediterranean coast.

The Nabatean traders moved the incense produced in South Arabia (Yemen and Oman) by Camel Caravans from Petra across the Nagev to the Gaza coast where it could be transported by ship throughout the Roman Empire. Along the route 65 secure rest stops were established, about a days journey apart, that gave protection and access to water and supplies. Four of these rest stops in the Negev grew into prosperous cities: Avdat, Haluza, Mamshit, Shivta all developed elaborate irrigation and water systems to sustain farming and habitation year round. The Nabatean kingdom reached it’s peak during the reign of Aretas IV in the first century C.E. and the kingdom was made a Roman province by Trajan in the early second century C.E.. However over the next few centuries the decline in demand for Incense led to the eventual abandonment of the cities by about the 7th century C.E.

Aretas is known in the beginning of Christian times from two accounts. He had given his daughter to marry Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great and Tetrarch of Galilee. But when Antipas divorced Aretas’ daughter to marry his brother Philip’s wife Herodias it eventually resulting in Nabateans attacking and defeating Antipas who had to seek protection from Tiberius Caesar. John the Baptizer had condemned Antipas’s marriage to Herodias as adulterous resulting in his arrest and beheading (Mt. 14:3,4). Aretas is also mentioned as being the ruler of Damascus when Paul made his escape from the city after his conversion to Christianity (Ac 9:23-25, 2 Cor. 11:32,33).

Avdat, Haluza, Mamshit, Shivta are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as the “The Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev”.

Makhtesh Ramon (Ramon Crater)

Makhtesh Ramon

Makhtesh Ramon is the world’s largest Geological Crater extending 40 KM long, from 2-10 KM in width, bounded by cliff walls on all sides and it reaches a depth of almost 500m at it’s lowest point. The crater forms one of the most dramatic land formations of the Nagev and is the largest National Park in Israel. Highway 40 from Mitzpe Ramon descends into the crater on a steep switchback Mitzpe Ramon heading south. The only natural water source in the canyon is the Saharonim Spring which sustains the Nuberian ibexes, Dorcas gazelles, Striped Hyenas and birds of the Makhtesh.

Hay-Bar Yotvata Nature Reserve

The Hay-Bar reserve was started in the 1960’s to reintroduce wildlife that had become extinct in Israel onto the Yotvata Salt Flats east and west of Highway 90 abut 35 km north of Eilat. Today it protects several endangered species of animals including the last population in the world of Acacia Gazelles.

Eilat

Highway 90 ends in Eilat, the southern tip of Israel. Eilat is Israel’s only access to the Red Sea and the city serves as both a port and a resort town. On a clear day the shores and mountains of bordering Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia (from afar) can be seen from Eilat’s beach front. Other highlights include snorkeling the coral reefs and close access to the city of Aqaba in neighboring Jordan.

Ancient references to Eilat (Ezion-geber) can be found at Num. 33:35,36 when Moses and the Israelites may have passed through on their way to Kadesh. Also in Solomon’s time Ezion-geber was the port city to Eloth (1st Ki 9:26-28). Ruins of the ancient city, some sections dating back to Solomon, have thought to have been found in Aqaba on the Jordan side of the harbor.

daniel campbellMarch 29, 2020