15. The Nabataeans - The Last Days of Petra

June 15, 2022

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5 min read

In the year 1812, a Swiss explorer named Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, traveling in disguise as an Arab, was led by his guides into a narrow, shadowy ravine in the Jordanian desert. As he emerged from the winding chasm, he was confronted by an enormous tomb carved directly into a cliff of brilliant red sandstone. He had become the first European in centuries to lay eyes on the lost city of Petra, the capital of a long-vanished trading kingdom. Burckhardt marveled at the "elegant remains of antiquity," but he also wondered how such a civilization could have flourished in this harsh landscape—and what had emptied its streets, leaving it to be buried by the desert sands.

The Rise of the Desert Traders

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What you'll learn

1 (01:07) **Burkhardt Discovers Petra** - Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burkhardt, disguised as an Arab, is guided to the hidden ruins of Petra in 1812.
2 (10:14) **Introduction: The Nabataean Puzzle** - The episode sets up the central mystery of how a civilization flourished in the harsh Arabian desert and what led to its abandonment.
3 (11:26) **The Geology of Petra's Red Stone** - The unique geology of the Um Ishwin sandstone layer is explained, setting the physical stage for the Nabataean story.
4 (15:48) **Earliest Hints of the Nabataeans** - The first possible mentions of the Nabataeans appear in Assyrian records as nomadic desert peoples.
5 (19:20) **From Bandits to Trade Lords** - The Nabataeans transition from robbing caravans to protecting and organizing them, dominating the incense trade.
6 (24:51) **The Incense Economy** - The immense value and spiritual significance of frankincense and myrrh are explored, explaining why the Nabataeans' trade was so lucrative.
7 (33:58) **The City of Petra** - The natural and engineered advantages of Petra's site are detailed, including its water systems and strategic location.

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Show Notes

In the deserts of Jordan, a city lies hidden for centuries in a valley of rose-red stone...In this episode, we look at one of the most peculiar stories of civilizational survival to come down to us from the ancient world, the story of the Nabataeans. Find out how these once humble traders rose to become masters of the desert sands, and to defy empires. And discover what happened to finally bring down the empire of Nabataea.