Page 31 - Holyland Magazine - 2009 Edition

Doron Nissim Photos clockwise from top far left: Remains of a
INPA
gathered strength for the leg to come.
Traveling along the coastline of the
Red Sea to the Arava and via the Negev
desert (in today’s southern Israel), and
then through the Sinai desert to Egypt
brought them eventually to the shores of
the Mediterranean Sea. There the goods
were loaded onto ships sailing along the
coast to Greece and then on to the
marketplaces of Rome.
With all the taxes levied en route from
Arabia, the fragrant substances literally
became worth their weight in gold by the
time they arrived in the markets of Greece
and Rome, and the traders became
extremely wealthy.
For centuries, the Midianites held a
monopoly over this spice trade and by the
3rd century BCE the Nabateans had taken
over, establishing their capital in Petra (in
today’s Jordan). They mastered the secrets
of desert survival, digging secret water holes cities, the most important of which were
(Song of Solomon 3:6)
Byzantine church in Avdat, one of the large
Nabatean cities along the spice route.
and developing methods to preserve water, Left, Moa, one of the first watering stops in the
including the use of dams, plastered cisterns Arava valley, used the water for desert agriculture,
and water conduits; thus, they were able as indicated by the large round stone olive press.
to provide for Europe’s growing demand Below, remains of a large church in Mamshit, one
for products from the East. Over the years, of the stops along the perfume route that grew
the Nabatean caravanserai became cities from a watering hole to a caravanserai and then
and fortresses protecting this invaluable into a thriving city and center of Christianity.
trade route.
Avdat, Nitzana and Halutza. Others included
Recently, the ancient Nabatean incense Shivta and Rehovot-in-the-Negev. In places
(spice) route through Israel’s Negev Desert like the Ein Saharonim caravanserai and
was declared by UNESCO as a World oasis or near the ruins of the Nabatean city
Heritage Site, and the camel caravan trails of Kurnub (Mamshit), you can camp out,
have been made accessible to tourists enjoying the local Bedouin hospitality with
interested in taking a few days off the bus music and food around the campfire. It’s
tour to join camel trips along these time- a great place to learn about the ancient
honored routes. For the less adventurous, traditions of healing, and the aromatic and
a few hours of off-road exploration in a cosmetic properties of frankincense and
jeep can be just as exciting. myrrh. Here, you can once again discover
the many and varied uses inherent in these
The route passes through the Nabatean natural treasures that 2,000 years ago were
military camps and forts of Moa in the deemed “worthy of a king” and brought to
Arava desert to the ruins of their ancient honor the Christ Child.
For a detailed map of the spice route in the
Negev, go to:
www.parks.org.il/files/Incense_Route_for_internet.ppt.
For tourist information, see:
www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist+Information
/Discover+Israel/Geographic+Regions/The+Negev+
Desert.htm
www.shayarot.co.il/english/List.aspx?Item=623
www.negevjeep.co.il/english/about.html
Itamar Grinberg