Avdat of the Nabateans The prospect of long drives through the hot, dusty desert discourages many people from visiting the Negev. But the marvelous ruins of great civilizations make the trip more than worth the effort. Consider the Nabateans. A mysterious Arab people of unknown origin, they are first mentioned in a document from 312 B.C.E. In time, they came to dominate Transjordan, the Negev and, most important of all, the spice routes connecting Arabia with the Mediterranean. When the apostle Paul traveled to Damascus, it was the Nabateans who controlled the city (2 Corinthians 11:32). A Desert Kingdom […]