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55-635: The history of the Tabuk region dates back to 5,000 years ago. The region is identified with the land of Madyan . The region is traversed by the Hejaz Railway , which was a focus for attacks during the Arab Revolt of 1916–1918. The province has traditionally been inhabited by the Howeitat tribe. Tabuk is an active commercial center, serving pilgrims passing through towards Mecca. Due to its moderate climate, it's also

110-410: A 4D film light-and-sound show. The park is used as the location for open-air concerts and cliff-climbing events. Because the park is not part of the national parks of Israel, there has been controversy over construction of hotels and a large tourist reserve in the area. A life-size replica of the biblical tabernacle , a tent that God is said to have instructed Moses to build in order to have

165-571: A mountain range in northwestern Saudi Arabia . They are considered to be either contiguous with the Hijaz Mountains to the south, or a part of them. The Hijaz are treated as part of the Sarawat range , sensu lato . Other notes: Timna valley The Timna Valley (תִּמְנָע, Hebrew pronunciation: [timˈna(ʕ)] ) is located in southern Israel in the southwestern Arava/ Arabah , approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of

220-504: A sanctuary ". Elath , on the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba was suggested as the location of the first shrine , with a second sanctuary located at Kadesh . Later writers have questioned the identified sanctuary locations but supported the thesis of a Midianite league. George Mendenhall suggests that the Midianites were a non- Semitic confederate group, and William Dumbrell maintains

275-420: A critique noting the limitations of archaeological methods frequently relied upon to interpret findings in that region, and asserting how they affect understanding of the subject matter. In 1969, an excavation took place at Site 200 (also dubbed the "Egyptian sanctuary") that allowed for researchers to debate a new chronological framework. The framework was imposed on the entire Iron Age smelting sites throughout

330-473: A later date led researchers, Bimson and Tebes to conclude that: " The dates currently given to mining and smelting operations in the southern Arabah produce a number of chronological anomalies and tensions. Taken together these suggest the need for lower dates for New Kingdom Egypt, which would in turn allow a lower date for the Late Bronze/Iron Age transition ." Beno Rothenberg , the main excavator of

385-584: A new understanding regarding nomads and their ability for an advanced polity and advanced technologies, shrugging off years of architectural bias among archaeologists. Mining continued by the Israelites ( Iron Age II , i.e. 10th-6th c. BCE) and Nabataeans , continuing through to the 1st and 2nd centuries CE during the Roman period , and then, after the 7th-century Arab conquest , by the Umayyad Caliphate , until

440-456: A number of critical issues in the Late Bronze and Iron Age archaeology of the southern Levant . These include the history of copper production technology and the introduction of iron, historical issues concerning the nature of 13th- to 9th-century BCE desert societies and the impact of the intense copper production on social processes, regional and global political interactions and the economy of

495-522: A pit by his brothers, was sold to either Midianites or Ishmaelites . Moses spent 40 years in voluntary exile in Midian after killing an Egyptian. There, he married Zipporah , the daughter of Midianite priest Jethro (also known as Reuel ). Jethro advised Moses on establishing a system of delegated legal decision-making. Moses asked Hobab , the son of Reuel, to accompany the Israelites travelling towards

550-409: A shower of ashes and cinders accompanying a volcanic eruption. Thus a day of terror drove them into their homes, and the earthquake finished them." Excavations at the oasis of Al-Bad' , identified as the city of Midian mentioned in classical and Islamic sources, have uncovered evidence of an occupation spanning from the 4th millennium BC. Midianite pottery , also called Qurayyah Painted Ware (QPW),

605-531: A tremor ( rajfa , v. 91). Abdullah Yusuf Ali in his commentary (1934) writes, "The fate of the Madyan people is described in the same terms as that of the Thamūd in verse 78 above. An earthquake seized them by night, and they were buried in their own homes, no longer to vex Allah's earth. But a supplementary detail is mentioned in [Quran] 26:189, 'the punishment of a day of overshadowing gloom,' which may be understood to mean

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660-437: A wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah" ( Genesis 25:1–2, King James Version ). Traditionally, knowledge about Midian and the Midianites' existence was based solely upon Biblical and classical sources, but in 2010 a reference to Midian was identified in a Taymanitic inscription dated to before the 9th century BC. Some scholars have suggested that

715-576: Is a location in Israel's Aravah Desert . According to the archaeologists, their excavations indicate that these copper mines carbon-dated to the 10th century BCE. Thus, these mines probably belonged to the Kingdom of Edom , and were worked by the Edomites , described as biblical foes of the Israelites . This may seem to contradict the previous assumptions that the mining in the area was an Egyptian enterprise from

770-560: Is found at numerous sites stretching from the southern Levant to NW Saudi Arabia, the Hejaz ; Qurayyah in NW Saudi Arabia is thought to be its original location of manufacture. The pottery is bichrome / polychrome style and it dates as early as the 13th century BC; its many geometric, human, and animal motifs are painted in browns and dark reds on a pinkish-tan slip. "Midianite" pottery is found in its largest quantities at metallurgical sites in

825-553: Is mentioned as one of several peoples who were warned by prophets to repent lest judgment fall on them. The story of Madyan is the last, coming after that of Lot preaching to his people (referring to the destruction of the Cities of the Plain ). Madyan was warned by the prophet Shuʿaib to repent of practicing polytheism, using false weights and measures and lying in wait along the road. But they rejected Shuʿayb, and consequently were destroyed by

880-537: Is notable for its uncommon stone formations and sand. Although predominantly red, the sand can be yellow, orange, grey, dark brown, or black. Light green or blue sand occurs near the copper mines. Water and wind erosion have created several unusual formations that are only found in similar climates . The most well-known formation in Timna Valley are Solomon's Pillars. The pillars are natural structures that were formed by centuries of water erosion through fractures in

935-540: Is surrounded by copper ore smelting sites from between the 14th and 12th centuries BCE. The Arches are natural arches formed by erosion, as well, and can be seen along the western cliff of the valley. Arches are not as rare as Solomon's Pillars and the Mushroom, and similar structures can be found in elsewhere in the world. The walking trail that goes to the Arches also goes past the copper mine shafts. Copper has been mined in

990-599: The Beno Rothenberg 's excavations. The site also continued to be used during the Midianite occupation in the area, which is usually dated to terminal Late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age. The Midianites transformed the Hathor mining temple into a desert tent-shrine. In addition to the discovery of post-holes, large quantities of red and yellow decayed cloth with beads woven into it, along with numerous copper rings/wire used to suspend

1045-430: The Gulf of Aqaba and the city of Eilat . The area is rich in copper ore and has been mined since the 5th millennium BCE . During early antiquity, the area would have been part of the Kingdom of Edom . A large section of the valley, containing ancient remnants of copper mining and ancient worship, is encompassed in a recreation park. Ramon Airport is located near the entrance to the Timna Valley. Timna Valley

1100-511: The Promised Land because of his local knowledge, but Hobab preferred to return to his homeland. A number of scholars have proposed that the biblical description of devouring fire on Mount Sinai refers to an erupting volcano in the land of biblical Midian identified as Hala-'l Badr in northwestern Saudi Arabia . During the Baal-Peor episode , when Moabite women seduced Israelite men, Zimri ,

1155-569: The Quran . The word 'Madyan' appears 10 times in it. The people are also called ʾaṣḥabu l-ʾaykah ( Arabic : أَصْحَابُ ٱلْأَيْكَة , lit.   'Companions of the Wood';). The lands of Midian are mentioned in sura Al-Qasas (The Stories), verses 20–28, of the Quran as the place where Moses escaped upon learning of the chiefs conspiring to kill him. Surah 9 ( Al-Tawbah ), verse 70 says "Has not

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1210-672: The Tanakh and Quran . William G. Dever states that biblical Midian was in the "northwest Arabian Peninsula , on the east shore of the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea ", an area which contained at least 14 inhabited sites during the Late Bronze and early Iron Ages . According to the Book of Genesis , the Midianites were the descendants of Midian , a son of Abraham and his wife Keturah : "Abraham took

1265-399: The sandstone cliff until it became a series of distinct, pillar-shaped structures. American archaeologist Nelson Glueck caused a surge of attention for the pillars in the 1930s. He claimed that the pillars were related to King Solomon and gave them the name "Solomon's Pillars". Although his hypothesis lacked support and has not been accepted, the name stuck, and the claim gave the valley

1320-522: The 13th century BCE. Also there is speculation that the mines belonged to the biblical King Solomon who is believed to have lived in the 10th century BCE, during the Iron Age IIA period. According to Ben-Yosef, "The mines are definitely from the period of King Solomon." And yet he believes that the mines were used by his rivals the Edomites, rather than by Solomon. The current dating came into being with

1375-466: The 14th century BC, groups of Edomites and Midianites worshipped Yahweh as their God;" this conclusion is based on identification between Midianites and the Shasu . The Midianite connections to metallurgy at Timna have been noted by many scholars. Large amounts of Midianite ceramic ware has been discovered at these mining sites. An Egyptian temple of Hathor at Timna (Site 200) was first discovered during

1430-514: The Biblical books frequently reference travelling with caravans of domesticated camels. The modern state of Israel also began mining copper on the eastern edge of the valley in 1955, but ceased in 1976. The mine was reopened in 1980. The mine was named Timnah after a Biblical chief. Scientific attention and public interest was aroused in the 1930s, when Nelson Glueck attributed the copper mining at Timna to King Solomon (10th century BCE) and named

1485-615: The Moabites, and similarly Moses in Deuteronomy directed that the Israelites should not harass the Moabites. A modern-day movement, the Phineas Priesthood , has interpreted this story as a prohibition against miscegenation , despite the Midianites being closely related to the Israelites as descendants of Abraham, and Moses being married to a Midianite. During the time of the Judges , Israel

1540-451: The Timna Valley area before more recent work started in 2009, excavated a small Egyptian temple dedicated to Hathor , the Egyptian goddess of mining, at the base of Solomon's Pillars. According to Rothenberg, the temple was built during the reign of Pharaoh Seti I at the end of the 14th century BCE, for the Egyptian miners. The shrine housed an open courtyard with a cella , an area cut into

1595-501: The area of the "Merkavot", or "Chariot" rock drawings. Multiple forms of mining technology are exhibited there and span a period of approximately 6,000 years. No dateable material culture was found in or around most of the mines, necessitating a new type of research technology to establish dating for each technique. In 2019, Ben-Yosef published a paper entitled, The Architectural Bias in Current Biblical Archaeology , as

1650-458: The area since the 6th or 5th millennium BCE (during the Neolithic period ). The ancient Egyptians used copper for ornaments, but more importantly for stone cutting , as saws, in conjunction with sand. In 2013, archaeologists from Tel Aviv University , led by Erez Ben-Yosef , published the results of their excavations at a copper smelting site known as "Slaves' Hill" in the Timna Valley. This

1705-405: The attention that helped bring about the excavations and current national park. The pillars are known as the backdrop for evening concerts and dance performances the park presents in the summer. The Mushroom is an unusual monolithic , mushroom-shaped, red sandstone rock formation known as a hoodoo . The mushroom shape was caused by wind, humidity, and water erosion over centuries. The Mushroom

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1760-480: The copper ore became scarce. The recent excavations dating copper mining to the 10th century BCE also discovered what may be the earliest camel bones with signs of domestication found in Israel or even anywhere outside the Arabian peninsula , dating to around 930 BCE. This is seen as evidence by the excavators that the stories of Abraham , Joseph , Jacob and Esau were written or rewritten after this time, seeing that

1815-423: The curtains, were found all along two walls of the shrine. Beno Rothenberg, the excavator of the site, suggested that the Midianites were making offerings to Hathor, especially since a large number of Midianite votive vessels (25%) were discovered in the shrine. However, whether Hathor or some other deity was the object of devotion during this period is difficult to ascertain. A small bronze snake with gilded head

1870-484: The early Iron Age (11th–9th centuries BCE). This distinction is extremely important as the dating shift puts activity in the time of the United Monarchy of Israel—often referred to as the time of Kings David and Solomon. The Central Timna Valley project (also directed by Ben-Yosef of Tel Aviv University ), which began in 2013, continues this previous work and "includes new excavations and surveys designed to address

1925-446: The images of Hathor and the Egyptian hieroglyphics, and built a row of stelae and a bench of offerings on both sides of the entrance. They turned the temple into a tented desert shrine and filled it with Midianite pottery and metal jewellery. A bronze serpent also was found near the sanctuary. Many rock drawings are found throughout the valley that were created in the time of the different ruling empires over time. The Egyptians carved

1980-457: The most famous drawing, of chariots, consisting of Egyptian warriors holding axes and shields while driving ox-drawn chariots . There is a road that leads visitors to the Chariots, located about two miles from the mines in a narrow valley. Archaeologists used the carvings to learn about the rituals and lifestyles of the various cultures that once ruled the area. They also provide information about

2035-412: The name "Midian" does not refer to geographic places or to a specific tribe, but to a confederation or "league" of tribes brought together as a collective for worship purposes. Paul Haupt first made this suggestion in 1909, describing Midian as a "cultic collective" ( German : Kultgenossenschaft ) or an amphictyony , meaning "an association ( German : Bund ) of different tribes in the vicinity of

2090-402: The plants and animals of the area, in addition to the life and work of the people. In 2002, 42,000 dunams in Timna Valley were declared a nature reserve, ending all mining activity within the reserve's area. Gazelles and ibex still roam the area, but an image of these animals with ostriches found on a high ridge of sand suggests that ostriches once lived here, as well. Timna Valley Park

2145-506: The prehistoric times onward. Copper was mined here by the Egyptians during the reign of Pharaoh Seti I at the end of the 14th century BCE. It is uncertain which deities the Midianites worshipped. Through their apparent religio-political connection with the Moabites they are thought to have worshipped a multitude , including Baal-peor and Ashteroth . According to Karel van der Toorn , "By

2200-473: The region since 1926 are as follows: This article about the geography of Saudi Arabia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Midian Midian ( / ˈ m ɪ d i ən / ; Hebrew : מִדְיָן Mīḏyān ; Arabic : مَدْيَن , romanized :  Madyan ; Ancient Greek : Μαδιάμ , Madiam ; Taymanitic : 𐪃𐪕𐪚𐪌 MDYN ) is a geographical region in West Asia mentioned in

2255-446: The rock to presumably house a statue of the deity. Earthquake damage caused the temple to be rebuilt during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BCE, with a larger courtyard and more elaborate walls and floors. The dimensions of the original shrine were 15 by 15 metres, and it was faced with white sandstone that was found only at the mining site, several kilometres away. The hieroglyphics , sculptures, and jewellery found in

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2310-490: The same: We believe that Haupt's proposal is to be adopted, and that Midian, rather than depicting a land, is a general term for an amorphous league of the Late Bronze Age , of wide geographical range, who, after a series of reverses, the most prominent of which are recorded in Judges 6–7 , largely disappeared from the historical scene... The area of Timna valley contains large deposits of copper that had been mined from

2365-857: The site "King Solomon's Mines". His dating would later be challenged. In 1959, Professor Beno Rothenberg , director of the Institute for Archeo-Metallurgical Studies at University College, London , led the Arabah Expedition, sponsored by the Eretz Israel Museum , and the Tel Aviv University Institute of Archaeology. The expedition included a deep excavation of Timna Valley, and by 1990 he discovered 10,000 copper mines and smelting camps with furnaces, rock drawings, geological features, shrines, temples, an Egyptian mining sanctuary, jewellery, and other artifacts never before found anywhere in

2420-401: The site of several dairy and poultry farms. The region (Astra) exports flowers to Europe, mainly lilies, statices and gladiolas. In the past, a narrow-gauge railway (1,050 mm / 3 ft 511⁄32 in track gauge ) ran from Damascus to Medina through Tabuk. Remains of the railway can be found in Tabuk, where a large station was built. The station has since been restored. The governors of

2475-526: The son of a Simeonite chief, got involved with a Midianite woman called Cozbi . The couple were speared by Phinehas . War against Midian followed. Numbers 31 reports that all but the virgin females were slain and their cities burned to the ground. Some commentators, for example the Pulpit Commentary and Gill 's Exposition of the Bible , note that God's command focused on attacking the Midianites and not

2530-468: The southern Levant at that period. Research and excavations during the first two seasons focused on smelting camp Site 34 ("The Slaves' Hill", "Giv'at Ha'avadim) and two mining areas in the park. The team secured dating of major copper production at Site 34 to the early Iron Age (11th–9th centuries BCE) as well, confirming a larger picture of activity during this period. The team also used optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to date mining activity in

2585-598: The southern Levant, especially Timna. Because of the Mycenaean motifs on Midianite pottery, some scholars including George Mendenhall, Peter Parr, and Beno Rothenberg have suggested that the Midianites were originally Sea Peoples who migrated from the Aegean region and imposed themselves on a pre-existing Semitic stratum. The question of the origin of the Midianites still remains open. The Midian Mountains ( Arabic : جِبَال مَدْيَن , romanized :  Jibāl Madyan ) are

2640-412: The story reached them of those before them? – The people of Nūḥ (Noah), ʿĀd and Thamud , the people of Ibrahim (Abraham), the dwellers [literally, comrades] of Madyan (Midian) and the cities overthrown [i.e. the people to whom Lūt (Lot) preached], to them came their Messengers with clear proofs. So it was not Allah who wronged them, but they used to wrong themselves." In Surah 7 ( Al-ʾAʿrāf ), Madyan

2695-416: The temple totalled several thousand artifacts, have provided a lot of important information for archaeologists. A rock carving of Ramses III with Hathor is located at the top of a flight of steps carved into the stone next to the shrine. When the Egyptians left the area in the middle of the 12th century BCE, the Midianites continued using the temple. They erased the evidence of the Egyptian cult, effaced

2750-458: The valley of Timna. However, Site 200 was known to present complications and inconsistencies even though it was used for correlations and to date smelting and mining sites. The complex stratigraphy of Site 200 for dating usages created confusion and irregularities during the study and excavations. Consensus about New Kingdom dates of smelting sites, together with radiocarbon dates from other sites with Qurayyah Painted Ware (QPW) that were assigned

2805-594: The world. His excavation and restoration of the area allowed for the reconstruction of Timna Valley's long and complex history of copper production, from the Late Neolithic period to the Middle Ages. The copper mines at Timna were considered by most archaeologists to be earlier than the Solomonic period until an archaeological excavation led by Erez Ben-Yosef of Tel Aviv University found evidence indicating that this area

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2860-482: Was also discovered in the naos of the Timna mining shrine, along with a hoard of metal objects that included a small bronze figurine of a bearded male god, which according to Rothenberg was Midianite in origin. Michael Homan observes that the Midianite tent-shrine at Timna is one of the closest parallels to the biblical Tabernacle . Midian was the son of Abraham . Abraham's great-grandson Joseph , after being thrown into

2915-706: Was being mined by Edomites , a group who the Bible says were frequently at war with Israel. Renewed archaeological investigations of copper exploitation at Timna began in 2009 when a team from UCSD led by Dr. Erez Ben-Yosef examined smelting camp Site 30. This site was first excavated by Rothenberg and dated to the Late Bronze Age (14th–12th centuries BCE) based on findings at the Shrine of Hathor; however, new results obtained using high precision radiocarbon dating of short-lived organic samples and archaeomagnetic dating of slag showed that major smelting activity occurred in

2970-505: Was opened by the Jewish National Fund to share Rothenberg's findings with the public, and there are around 20 different walking trails and some roads in the park to lead visitors to the various attractions. The Jewish National Fund, a non-profit organization, funded the creation of many of the non-historic tourist and family attractions and activities in the park. The park includes a visitors recreation area with an artificial lake and

3025-574: Was oppressed by Midian for seven years until Gideon defeated Midian's armies. Isaiah speaks of camels from Midian and Ephah coming to "cover your land", along with the gold and frankincense from Sheba . This passage, taken by the Gospel of Matthew as a foreshadowing of the Magi 's gifts to the infant Jesus , has been incorporated into the Christmas liturgy. The people of Midian are mentioned extensively in

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