On our third day in Jordan we woke up bright and early so we could head out to Petra as soon as possible and spend the first part of out day there. This city was created by the Nabateans, who were nomadic spice traders. They were the only ones to conquer the desert and mastered the crossing of it from Arabia to the Mediterranean coast (or at least the Negev area). Petra is their most magnificent city carved out of Eocene stone. Eocene is very clay-like and easier to build out of instead of with. As we walked into the city, which was originally thought to be solely a burial place, the beauty of our surroundings was amazing. It takes about 20 minutes to actually get into the city as you walk through a small canyon pathway with high cliffs on both sides. Along the side of the cliff the Nabateans had constructed a pipe line to bring fresh water into the city. This is one of the reasons people now think that the Nabateans lived in Petra, instead of just building tombs here. For why would they need to water the dead, Zafer (our tour guide) poignantly pointed out. Also, as we were walking in we would come to a rectangle carved into the wall with blocks representing the Nabatean gods inside. Apparently, they did not like to picture their gods as human, but instead chose this more geometric shape. We found these representations about four or five times as we walked into the city.
The canyon finally opened up to the remarkable treasury building that is featured in Indian Jones. Though, there was no treasure inside or knight guarding the Holy Grail, the outside was still very impressive. It was highly decorated especially at the top, with large pillars creating a striking entry. And yes, I did get a picture in front of it. From here Nicole and I walked farther into the city and got to visit many interesting Bedouin shops. We walked all the way to the restaurant that is close to the base of the stairs that lead to a monastery. We didn't go up there, but decided instead to head back in the direction of the treasury. On our way back we stopped and talked with a Bedouin shop keeper for over an hour. It was very cool, especially for Nicole who feels called to the Middle East. The hospitality of the people here is definitely unmatched, especially if compared to Americans. We could learn a lesson or two from the Bedouins.
After we quickly walked out of Petra (due to the fact that we were a little late for lunch), we had lunch and moved on to the tell of Bozrah. Bozrah is the capital of Edom; it is very high and elevated. The Bible uses this imagery of Bozrah being high to represent Edom's tendency toward pride. Also, since Bozrah is so high it naturally is hard to attack. Bozrah has other positive points as well. For instance, this city connects to Gaza though an east to west trade route. This is important, because trade and connections are everything - especially for Edom who is the middle man between the desert and the coast. Edom is connected to Arabia which brings a lot of revenue through their spice trade, and when they can get into the Negev they can bring the spices to the Mediterranean Sea. This is why so often Edom is threatening Israel who holds claim to the Negev. Apart from the positive aspects of Edom they also must deal with some negative. For instance, they do not have access to a lot of water. Without water you cannot live, so this is always an issue for them. They also do not have a lot of natural resources, most likely partially due to not having a lot of water. Edom consists of Senonian rock which lends itself to a shepherding lifestyle instead of farming, so this too would be a reason. Finally, they must deal with Israel if they want to expand, because their only direction of expansion is into the Negev. So this can be a problem for them.
~Jennilee~
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