Historical Overview of the Negev Region
The Negev, a semi-arid region in southern Israel, has a long and varied history. In ancient times, it was inhabited by various groups, including the Edomites, Philistines, Nabataeans, and Judeans. The Negev was a significant agricultural, pastureland, and trade route.
Biblical Negev
The term "Negev" appears in the Bible to refer to the small, semi-arid northeastern Arad-Beersheba Valley. According to biblical accounts, the Negev was inhabited by different groups at different times. While some scholars have suggested that Israelites lived in the Negev during biblical times, others argue that it was inhabited by a distinct people.
Negev Highlands: Copper Mining and Agriculture
In the Bronze Age and early Iron Age, the Negev Highlands were home to copper mines. Fortress-like structures and casemate buildings were constructed to support mining operations. In addition, innovative agricultural techniques were developed to cope with the low rainfall, such as cisterns, terraced fields, and specialized farming practices.
Late Iron Age and Later
Political and economic fluctuations in the region affected the Negev. After the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests, the Negevites advanced north into more fertile areas. The decline of copper mining prompted them to focus on trade, expanding eastward and founding towns along the King's Highway.
Hellenistic Period: Nabataeans
In the Hellenistic period, the Nabataeans displaced the Edomites from the Negev. They established "desert towns" along the incense route and introduced new agricultural practices, such as arched cisterns and water channels.
Maccabean Period
The Maccabees conquered Idumean border towns, but archaeological evidence suggests that many Idumaeans remained in the Negev, continuing their traditional religion.
Byzantine and Early Islamic Period
Byzantine rule introduced Christianity and led to significant population growth in the Negev. Nabataean desert towns evolved into agricultural villages, and a network of settlements dotted the region.
After the Arab conquest, deurbanization occurred, with a shift towards ruralization. Agriculture became the primary economic activity, with terrace farming and qanat irrigation systems supporting cultivation in the arid landscape.
Later History
The Negev faced devastation during the Crusader and Mamluk periods, and it was transformed into a region inhabited primarily by semi-nomadic Bedouins. Archaeological investigations and recent research continue to illuminate the region's rich and complex history.