Rise Of Nabataeans: A Connection To Trade, Geographic Reorganisation

(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN - The emergence of the Nabataeans is connected with the incense trade between southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula and the Mediterranean ports. First historical records on the Nabataeans appear in 4th century BC while before that period the Qedarites, the dominant Arab tribe of the Persian period, controlled the south from the Hijaz and all of the southern Palestine with a local centre at Lachish. The Qedarites established frankincense trade on their territory and they stepped on the historical stage when they became the main traders of frankincense from the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean World.

“Aramaic ostraca [a piece of pottery] finds indicate that the Persian province Idumaea must have been established before 363BC,” noted Robert Wenning, who received his PhD in classical archaeology from Munster University in Germany, adding that for some reason the Qedarites joined the coalition against the Persiansafter Hakoris won the Mediterranean coast around 383BC, and when Euagoras needed help to resist a new attack by the Persians in 381BC.

After the Euagoras revolt (391BC-380BC) was crashed, it is assumed that a reorganisation of Arabia took place by the Persians before the Persian campaign against Egypt in 373BC.

“Beside the establishment of Idumaea, the Qedarites obviously lost their privileges to sell frankincense and we assume that they were replaced by the Nabataeans,” Wenning claimed.

The Nabataeans lived in the Hejaz or lived in southern Jordan and therefore were chosen by the Persians to become their middlemen and by this raised the Nabataean influence and power in the area. On the other hand, it has been argued that the Persians lost their interest in the former area of the Edomite Kingdom after about 400BC, highlighted Wenning, adding that this move allowed the Nabataeans to gain importance in the area.

“All these changes contributed to the process by which the Nabataeans gained control of the frankincense from Dedan to Gaza. Gaza, the final destination of the frankincense route was granted special status as a Persian garrison. It allowed the Persian king to control both the incense trade as well as the routes to Egypt by water and overland,” the scholar elaborated.

Philisto-Arabian coins can be a source for the early history of the Nabataeans one of the consequences of the reorganisation of the area seems to be the introduction of coinage minted at Gaza, Wenning noted, saying,“These coins are divided into two groups of minting authorities: The first was attributed to city of Gaza and the second to regional non-Persian rules of northern Arabia.

Continuity from the Edomites to the Nabataeans is often stated, but there is a gap of some centuries between the Edomite and the Nabataean settlements,” Wenning said, adding that the Edomite settlements in Edom seized to exist after around 400BC, while the Nabataean settlement of Edom barely started before the 2nd centuryBC.

Those Edomites who had not left their homes to go merging with the Idumaean population, probably returned to a nomadic life and may have joined tribes in the Hisma or other deserts, Wenning added.

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