Category:Oboda (subject)

Obada (Avdat) was a Nabatean (then Roman) town.

Overview

The town was established in the 3rd century BCE by the Nabateans as a road station along the Incense Route connecting Petra with Gaza.

At the beginning of the 1st century BCE the town was abandoned, probably as a result of the conquests of Alexander Jannaeus, who in 103 BCE captured the Mediterranean coast and disrupted the spice trade.

The city was rebuilt by the Nabatean king Obodas I, who was buried there. The city flourished especially during the rule of King Aretas IV Philopatris (9 BCE - 40 CE), when the city acropolis was fortified and a large temple built within it.

By the mid-first century CE however Nabatean trade diminished. Agricultural project were carried out to sustain the population.

The Roman conquest of 106 CE brought about a new period of prosperity that continued in the Byzantine period, when the city became renowned for the production of wine. The city was destroyed by earthquake and abandoned in the 7th century.

Oboda in ancient sources

Oboda in scholarship

Modern excavations began in 1958. The area is now a National Park.

Oboda in fiction

The ruins of Obada were the filming location of Jesus Christ Superstar (1973 Jewison), film.

External links

• Wikipedia]