Who is the god of the Nabateans?

Dushara, a Nabataean deity whose name means, Lord of the Mountain, he was widely worshiped in Petra. Dushara is venerated as a supreme god by the Nabataeans, oftentimes he is referred as Dushara and all the gods. He is considered the god of the Nabataean royal house.



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Although Petra was inhabited by the Edomites before the arrival of the Nabateans, the latter carved grandiose buildings, temples and tombs out of solid sandstone rock. They also constructed a wall to fortify the city, although Petra was almost naturally defended by the surrounding sandstone mountains.

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During the reign of Aretas III (87 to 62 BC) the kingdom seems to have reached its territorial zenith; it was defeated by a Roman army under the command of Marcus Aemilius Scaurus.

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It is believed that Moses' brother Aaron died and was buried in the Petra area and a white-domed mosque, built in the 14th century, commemorates this.

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During the Exodus, The Prophet Moses and the Israelites passed through the Petra area in Edom. Local tradition says that the spring at Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses), just outside Petra, is the place where Moses struck the rock and brought forth water (Numbers 20:10-11).

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Many people believe Petra was built for the Gods (or Giants) as the doorways, archways, and buildings are extremely tall. The buildings of Petra are composed of stone that has been sculpted by hand out of the sandstone cliffs using chisels.

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Rome ruled Petra for the next 300 years, tying the fate of the ancient city to the empire. Eventually, Rome moved the center of trade north. The empire also turned to shipping by sea for much of its trade. Petra's importance in the ancient world began to fade.

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Now, however, archaeologists are discovering that ancient Petra was a sprawling city of lush gardens and pleasant fountains, enormous temples and luxurious Roman-style villas.

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