Nabatean temple at Dhat Ras, Jordan

Dr. Terry Eddinger

 

The Nabateans were a group of Arab people who are known for their involvement in trade from the Far East and the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean area through the city of Gaza. They moved into the region south and east of the Dead Sea sometime around 400 BC. Their presence grew to its heyday in the first centuries BC and AD when they controlled much of the Transjordan up to Damascus. At that time, they began to settle down into an agricultural society.

Dhat Ras temple from southeast corner

Dhat Ras temple from southeast corner

 

They are best known for constructing Petra.

Qasr el Bint is a 1st century BC temple at Petra

Qasr el Bint is a 1st century BC temple at Petra