Cruciformed baptistery in ancient Mamshit (Memphis), Israel
Picture from above. Mamshit, the Nabataean city of Mampsis or Memphis. In Nabataean period it was an important station on "Incense Road" to Beer-Sheva, Hebron and Jerusalem. Mamshit was built in 1st century BC as trade post on the way from Petra to Gaza. Eventually the city developed and based also on agriculture. When trade in Mamshit waned with the Roman occupation, the residents of Mamshit began to bred the renowned Arabian horse, which brought great wealth to their city. During the Byzantine period Mamshit also received support from the authorities for being a frontier city. When this funding dried up, at the time of Justinian (6th Cent.), the city died a natural death.
Size: 2592px × 3887px
Location: Mamshit, Negev desert, Israel
Photo credit: © B. Adania / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: archeology, architecture, baptism, baptistery, byzantine, christianity, church, civilizations, cruciform, desert, eastern, history, holy, israel, land, mampsis, mamshit, nabatean, orthodox, pillar, religion, roman, ruin
