Who were the Nabataeans?
The Nabataeans were an ancient nomadic people whose geographic origin is unknown. Their earliest settlements were in southern Jordan and Israel and were often used for storing accumulated wealth. As nomads, they wandered the countryside with their flocks of sheep and camel. The Nabataeans were skilled in creating underground cisterns to collect water, which enabled them to move about far into the desert. By the end of the fourth century B.C., a burgeoning caravan trade encouraged the Nabataeans to join the commercial world. It was in southern Jordan, south of the Dead Sea, that the Nabataeans settled and thrived for centuries, exploiting their position at the nexus of several trade routes. They became successful merchants, trading incense, spices and ivory from southern Arabia and India in the east to the Roman Empire in the west. For several reasons, including its prosperous location for trade and natural protection from foreigners, the Nabataeans settled within the sandstone cliffs o
