Petra​—The Nabataean Capital

These photos show the ruins of the city of Petra, located south of the Dead Sea in modern-day Jordan. It was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom of Aretas IV, who is mentioned at 2Co 11:32 (see study note) and who ruled from about 9 B.C.E. to 40 C.E. (See App. B10, B13.) By the first century C.E., Petra had already been the capital of the Nabataeans​—an Arab tribe​—for hundreds of years. The ruins of that city show the past prosperity of Petra and its Greek and Roman influence, even though the city lay isolated in a desert. Petra was practically impregnable because it was situated in a hollow and surrounded by steep mountains. The Nabataeans carved their homes, tombs, temples, and even a theater out of solid rock. The rose-colored sandstone mountains surrounding Petra were well-suited to this remarkable style of construction. Some of these carved-out buildings included elaborate facades. The people also built a system of water channels, cisterns, and reservoirs to capture and store water from seasonal rains. In the first century C.E., the people dwelling there were still trading in such products as frankincense and myrrh. Petra’s location on the caravan routes did much to enhance commerce and increase the city’s wealth.