The remains of Avdat
As far back as the 4th century BCE, Nabatean travelers led their caravans through the Negev along the Spice Route. Avdat (or Oboda) was established as a road station along the route in the 3rd century BCE. It was probably named after the Nabatean king Oboda I. The diverse nature of archaeological finds from that period allows to conclude that the Avdat station was of great importance in Indo-Arabian commerce. Indeed, it was positioned at at a place where the ancient roads from Petra and Eilat converge into one and continue to the Mediterranean coast. At the beginning of the 1st century BCE the city was abandoned, probably as a result of the conquests of Alexander Yannai, who in 103 BCE captured the Mediterranean coast and disrupted the spice trade. Years later, the city was rebuilt by Nabatean king Oboda III. During his reign (30 to 9 BCE), the Nabateans began the transformation from traders to farmers. King Oboda was buried there and revered as a god. The Nabatean settlement reached its zenith during the rule of King Aretas IV (9 BCE - 40 CE), when the city acropolis was fortified and a large temple built within it. The pottery shop from 1-50 CE, discovered in the eastern part of the city, produced delicate, thin Nabatean pottery. During the reign of Oboda III and Aretas IV the city became an important center for sheep, goat and camel breeding. The military camp for the camel corps guarding the caravan routes, which stood northeast to the city, may also date from that time. By the middle of the 1st century CE the Nabatean trade diminished, and the inhabitants turned to farming. They built a system of dams to exploit the scarce rainfall for irrigation. During the reign of Malichis II (40-70 CE) Avdat suffered destruction at the hands of pre-Islamic Arab tribes. Later, under Rabbel II (70-106 CE) agricultural projects were developed in the vicinity, as is evidenced by dedicatory inscriptions on libation altars found there. Little change wa
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