From the Nabataean kingdom to the Hashemite kingdom - Jordan, Amman, Petra - History documentary

Amman, above all a new city, largely built in the second half of the 20th century, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is no less a reflection of the country's long and very rich history. The origins of Amman date back to biblical times. Her name was then Rabat Amon. City-state of the Ammonite kingdom, renamed Philadelphia by the the successors of Alexander the Great, it was under Roman domination, attached to commercial network of the Decapolis This impressive theater from that era remains, built by Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The city will officially take the name from Amman after the Arab conquest of 635. Born from the dissolution of the European colonial empires, at the conclusion of the World War I, the young state thus found itself at the heart of a region that It was very early on the stage of events with historical significance. Precious treasures long hidden in the Middle East, a meeting point between Africa, Europe and Asia, this corner of the world has always attracted covetous desires. Remember, Hebrews, Jews, Christians, Ayyubids, Mamluks, Abbasids, Ottomans, and more recently, English and Palestinians. All have trodden this land, yet never managed to conquer it definitively. However, it seems there is a people who have never conceded complete sovereignty, the Bedouins. Nomads living from pastoralism, these The children of the desert remain the guardians of traditions that sometimes date back thousands of years. Pillars of the current kingdom, they still live in Badaoui, otherwise known as the Bedouin style, originating from their ancestors. But who were their ancestors? The mystery remains. Some claim that they descend from an ancient nomadic people who lived sedentary by the 4th century BCE, right in the middle of this circus Rocky, with Petra as their capital, melting into the landscape. Their name, the Nabataeans. If today's Jordan hosts several million tourists Indeed, it is largely due to the rediscovery of Petra in the 19th century. The former Nabataean capital undoubtedly constitutes the site The most illustrious history of Jordan and the most impressive in the Middle East. Carved directly into the rock, this city from another era never seems to end. captivate travelers and arouse the curiosity of archaeologists. Numerous are the research teams that have come from around the world who, each year, contribute through their work to enriching knowledge that we have Nabataeans. Recently, a Jordanian team, among others, has made an astonishing discovery at the site of El Razne, made famous by the romanticized Indiana Jones. Beneath this temple, archaeologists have discovered the entrance to an imperial tomb. dating from the 1st century BCE. This discovery reveals that at this time epoch, the level of this part of the city was located several meters below below the current level, thus calling into question the appearance of the Nabataean city. These newly discovered indices inside the building have come complete the immense puzzle that is the history of the Nabataeans. The analysis of ceramics, in particular, allows for more precise dating and to identify the different cultural phases of a society. What are the origins of this nomadic people? How did it become sedentary? to become one of the most powerful civilizations in the ancient world? The classical tradition reports that the Nabataeans would be descendants of Ishmael. The Nabataeans were the first to integrate into Nabataean culture. On the peninsula of Arabia, they settled in successive waves in the land of the Domes, in the 6th century BCE. Today, we would call them the millionaires of the desert. Master caravaner, the Nabataeans transported precious goods. venues in India and China, the Kingdom of Sabah, Aqaba, and Palmyra. Silk, cotton, horses, copper, iron, dyeing, beads, and ivory, pepper, cinnamon, and then of course, incense and myrrh. The Nabataeans also exploited slaves, whom they resold. to the Egyptians, the Greeks, and later the Romans. According to a testimony reported by Diodorus of Sicily, a Greek historian In the first century BCE, they lived in tents and had by custom not to sow seeds, not to plant fruit trees, To not drink wine and to not build houses. It is forbidden and punishable by death. The foundations of nomadism had been laid. Over time, these life principles have become more flexible, yet they remain ever constant. perpetuated by the few thousand Bedouin families installed in the desert. We own a permanent house in Wadi Rum, but we Bedouins, We always love living under the tent. Goats and camels can come and go to find something to eat. to feed oneself in the desert. Our tents are made of wool that relaxes in summer due to the heat. Heat and will be closed in winter with the cold. When it rains, the fibers also contract. which allows the water to drain on each side. We are a family of nine people. We have a herd of about 30 goats, 4 camels, one of which is a baby. We live between the village and here, because the desert does not always offer the vegetation necessary for the herds. We sell the products from our farm, and in return, We buy our groceries in the village. In the spring, after the rainy season, if there was one, The desert offers greener vegetation. We then move from one place to another. You walk between 3 and 4 kilometers, then, at the end of this Transhumance, we're returning to the village, because there's always water there. Without her, the caravan traffic that dominated the lives of the nomads would not have been possible in antiquity. Traverse for long periods the ochre furnace of these lands desertic conditions required a perfect knowledge of natural resources, as well as a mastered practice of water techniques. Such paths also entailed knowing the aromas natural shelters that lined the paths. Indeed, those latter ones were not certain. Greeks and Romans frequently attacked them, as much for their loading only for their water, and it was not uncommon for women, The elderly and children paid a heavy price for their freedom. Thus, despite their religious prohibition, The Nabataeans settled in this rocky amphitheater. First of all, their goal is to ensure their own safety. By serving as a cache and a storage place for their belongings. Subsequently, provide this security to passing visitors, subject to a tax. And finally, controlling the caravan traffic. Located at the crossroads of major trade routes, Petra was all the more judicious a choice because she constituted The final vital step before the uncertainty of the desert. The founders of Petra indeed held the secrets of the water capture, its storage, and especially its distribution. Their inventions in this field are still clearly visible. The Nabataeans were very ingenious, particularly Regarding hydraulic installations. Beneath the complex of this temple, important systems have been discovered. hydraulic systems, including channels that brought water inside and evacuated them outside the temple. This type of hydraulic system, found in the SIC Walk through all of Petra. The Nabataeans managed to supply the city with water. by making her traverse the mountains along various paths. There is a spring to the southwest of the temple, and with the water from the siq and that from of Ouadimoussa, provided sufficient water for a population that, at its peak, would have reached 30,000 people. What is very interesting is that the Nabataeans had the opportunity What seems extraordinary when one sees just how arid the region is today Comfortably settled and perfectly organized, these princes Thus, in a few centuries, sands have formed a true kingdom. Small, to be sure, but powerful and respected. All the more respected because the Nabataean always knew how to seal it with most other regional societies based on non-aggression agreements the maintenance of these commercial relationships. The Nabataeans became so powerful that they offered themselves richly. residences with particularly elaborate decor. The entirely new invoice of the ornamental repertoire reveals various influences Did the Nabataeans import ideas from other regions? other major capitals of the world? Absolutely. They were nomads, and thus they had to demonstrate that they had acquired a great prosperity So they imitated all the great cities of the Old World, such as Antioch and Alexandria. And this is probably the origin of the large population of the Nabataeans. It was from the original Alexandria that they brought in craftsmen who transmitted their expertise with great skill to the local populations and gave them Taught to carve the elements you see today at Petra. We have Assyrian, Egyptian, and Hellenistic motifs. The Nabataeans decided to incorporate all these motifs into their canons. Then, they reinvented their own style. And thus the Nabataeans, these lifelong nomads, became the builders, carving their public structures directly into the rock, their houses, their temples, their tombs, as well as a theater. The City of the Rose shone until 106 AD, the year when the Nabataean Kingdom was annexed by the Roman Empire to become the Roman province of Arabia, with Bosra as its new capital. If Petra gradually loses its importance, the civilization The Nabataean language does not cease to exist all the same. It was only on the evening of May 19, 363, that a natural catastrophe struck. definitively the death knell of the Nabataean kingdom. From then on, Petra and its region sink into oblivion for several centuries. before their rediscovery in 1812 by Burkhardt, a Western spy traveler. Despite the Greco-Roman influences it has undergone, the civilization The Nabataean people never lost their identity. She is now a major reference in the Arab world. for the origins of arability. Can one therefore assert that the Bedouins and the Jordanians themselves Who are the descendants of the Nabataeans? The question appears contradictory, but it is built upon a historic case known. The Roman writers, especially Herod, the father of history, said in His book on the Nabataeans states that they originated from Bedouin tribes. Some researchers, including recently Dr. Khalil Nami, a scholar renowned Egyptian, wrote an article in which he connects the Nabataeans among the Jordanian tribes, the Bedouins. The Bedouins are semi-sedentary nomads who, in the 19th century, They reinvested the site of Petra, using the ancient installations. In the 1970s, a large number of Bedouin families lived there. Again. With the number of children increasing, Wadim Moussa's primary school founded and a teacher named. At the same time, another phenomenon is developing: tourism. A blessing for the inhabitants of Petra. Among them, Chaer was not yet twenty years old. I was born in this cave where my mother gave birth, right here. More than 30 years ago. We lived there with my five brothers, my four sisters, my father, and my Mother. As for school, I used to go there at 6 in the morning. I was going from here to Wadim Moussa. The school opened its doors at 8 o'clock, and to get there, We were taking the path through the Siq. The same thing for coming home from school. We walked 10 kilometers a day, 5 kilometers going there and 5 kilometers returning. After school, we played football. I was going to Dodane or from Chameau. I climbed into the mountains, I ran, I went to the springs, I used to drink. Here, I remember, I would climb the rocks and I I gazed at the mountains stretching endlessly, with no one in sight. Petra was mine, and I was happy. In 1985, the Jordanian State, in agreement with UNESCO, decide to relocate the Bedouins, who will now have to live in the a village built for them on the edge of the site. Thus, unknowingly, the Nabataeans left behind a capital and installations whose occupation has endured until today. By adopting their way of life, the Bedouins thus became a genuine vector of cultural transmission However, the phenomenon of continuity is not limited to lifestyle. It also affects modes of thinking, particularly the will to live in harmony with the outside world. I think the Nabataeans played the primary foundational role in the Modern Jordan. One can truly consider Jordan as the Nabataean kingdom. open towards Arabia, towards Mesopotamia, towards Syria, and towards Egypt. That was the role of the Nabataeans. This opening toward neighboring countries, and especially toward the Mediterranean, through the city of Gaza. It was by developing a caravan activity that the Nabataeans achieved have been led to establish good relations with the populations of countries served by the epistle. In the same context of open-mindedness and pacifism Christianity develops along the banks of the Jordan River. Let us not forget that the foundation of Christianity was in Transjordan Baptism is still, if you will, a very profound mystery important to Catholicism as well as to Christianity. All Christians believe in baptism. Jesus Christ's baptism certainly took place to the east of Jourdain, on the Jordan River. This is confirmed by the Gospel and by modern discoveries. Why was he preaching east of the Jordan? Because this country, inhabited by Arabs and largely by The Nabataeans were open. The Jews, being divided at the time, were indeed less receptive to the message. of Jesus that the Nabataeans. Those recent ones, who spoke the same language as Christ, Aramaic, were already practicing communal life. The texts and numerous installations discovered at Petra testify to Nabataean religious customs that will find their echo in Christianity. Christian Auger and his team have been excavating at Petra for many years. years in the temple sector. Their work and discoveries today allow for a better understanding of understand both the functioning of the sanctuaries and the course of events religious ceremonies at that time. Squares have been found in many Nabataean sanctuaries. Clearly intended for banquets equipped with two or three benches. On the other hand, we have also found them in many buildings that do not They are not, a priori, temples. For example, in front of or next to large tombs, and also within yes, of course, houses. Honoring one's guests with banquets was very common among the Nabataeans. This aspect had struck the ancient authors, since the few Rare texts that we have about them speak of their custom. The celebration of banquets, particularly banquets for twelve persons served by the king, is indicated. During the meal, a glass of wine circulated from guest to guest. According to a Greek custom. We have understood it: these Greco-Bedouin banquets are not without evoking the scene of Christ. Like Christians, the Nabataeans also believed in the virgin birth of their divinity. The master of the Pantheon was Douchara, named after the mountain range. culminating to the east of Petra. He was regarded as Zeus, the protector of the royal dynasty. god of the sky and thunder, under the name of Doujarès. His cult was celebrated in Petra, in the city's great temple. Basse, today known as Kasrelbint. Her female counterpart, Alousa, who presided over fertility country, was assimilated to the Egyptian and Greek goddesses Isis and Aphrodite Originally, the Nabataean gods were represented by stones. raised, called bétiles. Independent blocks or carved directly from the rock inside a niche, these stones were not intended to represent the God, but to signal his presence. The origin of this stone is attributed to a biblical episode in which Jacob, having received into his possession a stone of Yahweh, made a meteorite, interpreted as a gateway to the sky and the divinity What is particularly interesting in the Nabataean case is that we have a juxtaposition of bacilli completely unfigured and of much more elaborate representations that go as far as the classical Greco-Roman representation This bust of Douzares is a good example of this type of representation. anthropomorphic, of Western influence, and very distant from original betile A rough black stone. The image of the standing stone, very present in religions orientals of antiquity, was also reinterpreted by the Christianity According to Saint Paul, the rock from which the water flowed, having quenched the thirst of the The Hebrews during the Exodus were a symbol of Christ. The use of the bétile has also been perpetuated through religion. Muslims, with the Black Stone of the Kaaba in Mecca toward which the faithful direct their prayers. With the birth of Islam, initiated by Muhammad in the 7th century CE The Christian era once again raises the question of representation. divine, whose relevance remains current. The belief in the magical power of the icon explains the mistrust of Islam, which forbids man from personifying Allah or reproducing the features of his prophet. Because the Quran forbids sacred images, Muslim worlds and Today, the Westerners are convinced that Islam is a religion Prohibited, a priori, any human representation. The Quran says absolutely nothing that supports this idea. It also overlooks the remarkable discovery made in Jordan at 19th century, which abruptly challenged the position of the image in Islamic art. Planted in the heart of the steppe, about a hundred kilometers to the east D'Aman, Qosay Ramra, or Châtelet Rouge, is an ancient hammam. Built in the 8th century by a Homelian prince, the interior decoration Why this monument immediately surprises the visitor. In fact, in Islam, and more specifically in the Quran, nothing is against figurative representations. There are certain hadiths, statements attributed to the prophets, which condemn painters, paintings, or even the act of reproduce shapes. But there is nothing more concise and precise than the command. who, in Genesis, simply commands not to make an idol. Perhaps among the most rigorous of theologians, some it has adopted an attitude, not a doctrine, but rather an attitude against figurative representations. And frescoes, such as those by Kosaï Ramra, which depict naked men and women, scenes of bathing and hunting, are filled of figurative representations. Above all, certain nude scenes, such as those located behind We are not entirely in accordance with Islamic principles. Thus, the human representation holds a considerable place in the nascent Islamic art, particularly due to the vitality of pre-Islamic local cultures, Hellenized, then Romanized. By adopting, in the 9th century, a hostile attitude toward figurative painting, the hadiths, collections of the Prophet's sayings, actions, and approvals, generate the development of naturalism At the same time, symbolism establishes itself, and with it, the school of the calligraphy, this art of beautiful writing that exalts the word of God and creates the illusion of the image, without inducing any contemplation. It is with the emergence of writing that Arabic, until then oral, becomes official language From then on, the unity of the Islamic world is achieved, rallying to it the great number of populations and their customs, including those of Bedouins, who in turn will perpetuate Islamic traditions. The Bedouin society has preserved and protected them, more than has been done other, more moderate societies, such as those in cities, for example. And this for two reasons. First of all, urban society experiences greater change, therefore that the Bedouins in the desert manage to preserve their values and their customs untouched by any contact with other civilizations. Subsequently, cut off from external influence, the Bedouins maintain their values through the immutable gestures of daily life. The Bedouin society is impervious to the values that are attempted to be imposed upon it. the outer society. The Bedouins are determined to preserve the forms of traditional marriage, particularly the Henna ceremony and the numerous festive vigils rhythmed by popular songs. The reading of the Fatihah, which serves to seal the union of the two spouses, falls under She is from Islamic culture. In certain Bedouin tribes, marriage remains the affair of the chief. of the family. When you're a 25-year-old boy, you get married and have to leave The family home. As for me, I went into the mountains. I have traversed all the mountains and looked closely at many girls in search of The beloved, sweet, and lovely one. While she was tending her goats, I tried several times I wanted to talk to him, but I was shy and didn't dare approach him. Then, I went to see my father to tell him that I had found, the girl I was going to marry. My father replied no and advised me to stay away from it. What have I done? I went to see my mother and asked her to talk to my father about it. to convince him to say yes. My mother went there, and ever since, everything has been back to normal. We got married, and we lived in our own house. We stroll together, living a happy and gentle life. Me and the girl who was guarding the goats. When Chaher chose to continue living in Badawi, the majority of Bedouins have chosen urban life. This phenomenon contributes to the country's cultural unity. All of this contributes to creating a positive image of Jordanian society. open to fraternity and solidarity. The finest example being coexistence with immigrants Palestinians since the events of 1948. If Jordan had rejected the rules of good neighborliness, as well as its Arab roots and the roots of Islamic brotherhood, She would not be able to receive her immigrants. They are regarded as brothers by the Jordanians. who gladly welcome them to their table. It is a fine example of the Arab unity that the Jordanians offer. who are admired by others in general. Predominantly Arab, Jordanian society is indeed composed of nearly 50% Palestinians. The other half consists of native Jordanians. and a diversity of immigrants from the Arab world. National unity, born of the will to reconcile the various identities, It is particularly realized within cultural and artistic creation. The Performing Arts Center embodies this political will. These young dancers, from various communities constituting the Jordanian society, They meet each year to prepare and represent the colors of the kingdom. At international festivals. This policy, initiated by King Hussein as early as the 1960s, aimed at exporting a dynamic, creative, and cosmopolitan image of Jordan. The reputation of the Hashemite Kingdom as a land of refuge dates back to the 19th century. It was in 1859, following the conquest of the Caucasus by the Russian Empire, that the Circassians, who were Muslim by faith, settled in Jordan. With 20,000, they currently constitute the country's largest ethnic minority. Welcoming, Jordan has also shown respect. of the different religious denominations. The country, which is home to 90% of Sunni Muslims, also includes a small minority of Druze, as well as a significant Christian community, comprising one-third of Orthodox Greeks and representing 8% of the population. It's certainly like the United States, a melting pot. That's right, that's Jordanian society. On the one hand, we have people who have come from all over the Middle East and, on the other hand, hundreds of thousands of Jordanians who have left our country to work in the neighboring Gulf states during the oil boom. Therefore, we experienced significant migration flows. who have changed our society. You know, we've gone through so many wars, those from 1948, those from 1967 the First Gulf War and, before that, the Iran-Iraq War and the Second Gulf War. And in many respects, it has changed the face of Jordan. We are still in a state of migratory flow and always searching for our identity. It's not simple. With everything that is happening in the region, It is difficult for us to stabilize. There will undoubtedly be further changes in the region. Saudi Arabia will surely no longer be what it is today. The same applies to Syria, to Egypt. One does not know what will happen on the other side of the Jordan. Will there be a Palestinian state? Will there be peace? What will be the nature of population movements? We don't know. I think the entire world is far from stabilizing. The Hashemite Kingdom is currently led by Abdullah II, son of King Hussein Born into the wealthy and prosperous tribe of the Kreychites, who dominated Mecca in the 7th century The Hashemites are directly descended from the grandfather of Muhammad, God. The Hashemite dynasty entered the international political arena in 1916. under the impetus of Sheriff Hussein ibn Ali, who pledged support alongside the British during the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottomans. Defeated Ottoman Empire, Laurence of Arabia is elevated to the status of a hero. And Hussein recognized as the father of the Arab revolution. In 1923, his son Abdullah Ier, emir of a Transjordan under British control, One is entrusted with a territory. After the end of World War II and as a token of gratitude for allegiance to the Allies, It is May 25, 1946. placed on the throne of Jordan, now independent. But in 1948, The Arab-Israeli conflict draws him into a double-edged strategy. By annexing the West Bank and fragmenting Palestine, He draws the wrath of the Arab world upon himself. And he was assassinated in 1951 in Jerusalem. After the very brief reign of Talal, The true successor of Abdallah I is Hussein. who in 1953 was crowned king of Jordan, while he is only 18 years old. The sovereign then issues a double challenge. Regain the trust of the Arab inter-state forces while attracting the favor of the United States, favorable to peace with Israel. Hussein achieves his goal. based on the strength of the Bedouin tribes The Hashemite dynasty emerged strengthened from this singular struggle. and in less than 80 years, She managed to transform an artificial state of creation. a true nation. Here is how the Bedouin tribes still embodies today a national identity ground. Their values have become refuges, their tradition of landmarks and their attachment to a proud and independent Arabism, the spearhead of the Hashemite kingdom. The Jordanians share three common character traits. I do not exclude other peoples from these distinguishing signs. First, the Jordanians believe in dignity, human dignity For them, it is the most important thing. It stands far above economic considerations, financial and other. Next, I would say generosity and hospitality. The Jordanians are a generous and hospitable people. When you return to their place as a guest, There is nothing you want that they won't offer you. Finally, they are very conservative. They believe in fate. It's incredible the way people accept what they believe to be their destiny, however hard it may be. Most Jordanians believe in fate. at the very principle of fate. Having managed to preserve its identity, unity, and independence, Jordan continues to commit to peace in the Middle East, It is today striving to build a strong economy. This is how several free trade zones with the United States came into being. have recently come into being, opening the door to a future made in the USA. The question of culture is very important. We are deeply Arab, we are deeply religious. Islam has a very strong influence on our population. The West, many countries in Europe, if not all of them, and certainly also the United States consider us a model, a kind of bridge, if you will among the fundamentalist extremists of Islam, the religious and the West, where there is individual freedom and collective freedoms, where there is democracy and pluralism. We are not perfect, but we have committed ourselves to this path. So, we are seen as a possible model. The vocation of Jordan is first and foremost to be an open country, open to all civilizations, open also to all Islamic denominations, and Christian ones. This opening is the one, as I said, what makes Jordan a pleasant country to live in. Thus, more than 2,500 years of history separate the Achemenids from the Nabataeans. Speaking of a kinship between these two peoples would undoubtedly be exaggerated. But if time has eroded the rock, He was unable to erase the strength of the earth. It is the strength of character of those who, generation after generation, lived on this earth. As if each chisel strike carving the rock of Petra still echoed in the heart of every Jordanian, carving into his memory the furrows of his identity.