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“A Gem of a Small Nabataean Temple” Excavations at Khirbet Et-Tannur in Jordan

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“A Gem of a Small Nabataean Temple” Excavations at Khirbet Et-Tannur in Jordan Khirbet et-Tannur was a religious sanctuary of the Nabataeans, ancient Arabs whose capital was the rose- red rock-cut city of Petra in Jordan. Excavated in 1937, the temple sculptures from Khirbet et-Tannur are in important public collections of the Jordan Museum and TEMPLE NABATAEAN KHIRBET ET-TANNUR the Cincinnati Art Museum. Nelson Glueck’s fascinating scientifc fnds from the dig were buried deeply in the Harvard Semitic Museum until they were unearthed by scholars decades later in 2002. New research on his “A Gem of a Small discoveries and the site’s sculpture by a team of experts illuminates the religious practices and art of the Naba- Nabataean Temple” taeans. This “gem of a small Nabataean temple” has a fascinating story that is now being brought to new light. Excavations at Manar al-Athar, University of Oxford, Ioannou Centre for Classical Khirbet et-Tannur and Byzantine Studies, 66 St Giles’, Oxford OX1 3LU, Semitic Museum UK in Jordan Groton School Press, Box 991, 282 Farmers Row, Groton, MA 01450, USA By Marlena Whiting ISBN 978-0-9954946-1-9 and Hannah Wellman 9 780995 494619 FURTHER READING 49 McKenzie, J. S., Reyes, A. T., and Greene, J. A., “The Context of the Khirbet et- Tan- nur Zodiac, Jordan” ARAM 24 (2012 [2014]): 379–420. Summary of the primary conclusions of the two-volume report, below. McKenzie, J. S., Greene, J. A., Reyes, A. T., et al., The Nabataean Temple at Khirbet et-Tannur, Volume 1 – Architecture and Religion. Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research, vol. 67, and Manar al-Athar Monograph, vol. 1 (Boston, Massachusetts, 2013). Focuses on the architectural phases, iconographic programme, religious Inner Temenos practices, and iconoclasm at Khirbet et-Tannur. Enclosure McKenzie, J. S., Greene, J. A., Reyes, A. T., et al., The Nabataean Temple at Khirbet et-Tannur, Volume 2 – Cultic Oferings, Vessels, and Other Specialist Re- ports. Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research, vol. 68, and frieze Altar Platform Manar al-Athar Monograph, vol. 2 (Boston, Massachusetts, 2013). Specialist studies on the diferent types of remains from Khirbet et-Tannur (inscrip- Vegetation tions, altars, animal bones, plant remains, metals, glass, lamps, and pottery). Goddess niche with cult statues Manar al-Athar and the Groton School Press Manar al-Athar, University of Oxford, www.manar-al-athar.ox.ac.uk, is an open-access pho- to-archive of photographs buildings, monumental art, and archaeological sites in the Middle Forecourt East, North Africa, and adjoining regions, from ca. 300 BC to the present, for teaching, heritage Forecourt projects, research, and educational publications. facade The Groton School Press was originally started in 1908, continuing in existence until altar 1985. The imprint has been revived to encourage scholarly work by pupils of the School, past and present. Those working on this volume included Hannah Wellman (form of 2008) and Hanna Kim (form of 2017, who typeset the text). Diana Sayegh (form of 2014), from Aleppo in Syria, is preparing the Arabic translation, with the help of Mohammed Kenawi of Egypt’s Bib- liotheca Alexandrina. Andres Reyes, Assistant Director of the Khirbet et-Tannur Project, who teaches Greek and Latin at the School, edited the text with Judith McKenzie (Manar al-Athar, triclinium University of Oxford). His work was supported by Groton’s Dillon Fund, and Marlena Whit- ing’s by a Knowledge Exchange Fellowship at the Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH). Publication was covered by a TORCH Public Engagement with Research Grant. bench A complete list of the project’s participants and acknowledgements for the drawings and photographs, as well as sources of funding and other assistance, are given in the full report volumes (McKenzie et al. 2013). The photographs are largely from the Cincinnati Art Muse- um and the ASOR Nelson Glueck Archive in the Semitic Museum, Harvard University, with additional photographs taken by Deirdre Barrett and Manar al-Athar team members (Ross Burns, Joseph A. Greene, Sean Leatherbury, McKenzie, Otto Nieminen, Sarah Norodom, and Whiting). 1. Khirbet et-Tannur, axonometric reconstruction (Sheila Gibson). Published by Manar al-Athar, Oxford © 2016 Small Heading “A Gem of a Small Nabataean Temple” Excavations at Khirbet et-Tannur in Jordan by Marlena Whiting and Hannah Wellman 2 Damascus M E D I T E R R A N E A N Dan S E A Sahr Sur SEA OF Haifa GALILEE H A W R A N Suweidah Si‘ Der‘a J E B E L D R U Z E Bosra Tell Huweishan Jerash (Gerasa) Jordan River Allenby Bridge Amman Highway Qasr al-Mshatta Qusayr ‘Amra Madaba Gaza King’s DEAD Umm ar-Rasas SEA Dibon Wadi al-Mujib W A . iew fro abal et-Tannur, looing south-east, with the adi al-Hasa on the left and the Beer-Sheba D I S I R H Malhata MOAB Qasr Rabba Wadi La‘abān on the right. Horvat Qitmit Qatrana Elusa Kerak A Mampsis Mezad Tamar Menzil N Aineh Khirbet et-Tannur Shivta Khirbet edh-Dharih Wadi al-Hasa Introduction Oboda Tafileh ‘En Hazeva Busayra (Bozrah) Jurf ed-Derawish The Nabataean teple cople of Khirbet et-Tannur ruins of the oen stands N E G E V Shaubak EDOM alone at the top of abal ountain et-Tannur in odern-day ordan. t oerloos Khirbet el-Hassiya the junction of the fertile Wadi La‘abān and the magnifcent Wadi (“river bed”) al-Ha- Petra Tawilan Jabal Haroun (Mount Aaron) Wadi Musa sa, the chas which ars the traditional boundary between the biblical territories of Udruh ‘Ain Braq Maan do to the south and Moab to the north. lonely outpost, Khirbet et-Tannur is north of the ancient city of etra, beside the odern King’s Highway, which fol- lows the old caraan route that lined etra to aascus in yria, with way stations Humeima in between. These stops included Khirbet edh-harih, the other illage of Khirbet Timna et-Tannur, to its south. Tell el-Kheleifeh Aqaba Wadi Ramm (Iram) Khirbet et-Tannur fourished over several centuries, from the 2nd century 0 100 km through to the iddle of the th century . t was a thriing sanctuary, and ar- chaeological eidence recoered fro ecaations shows it was an iportant place of 2. Map showing the location of Khirbet et-Tannur, other Nabataean sites, and the King’s Highway. pilgriage. orshippers paid tribute to their deities, feasted, and spent nights star- gaing and celebrating the beginning of the new year at the start of spring, or the harest later in the year. . iew fro abal et-Tannur, looing south-east, with the adi al-Hasa on the left and the Wadi La‘abān on the right. Introduction The Nabataean teple cople of Khirbet et-Tannur ruins of the oen stands alone at the top of abal ountain et-Tannur in odern-day ordan. t oerloos the junction of the fertile Wadi La‘abān and the magnifcent Wadi (“river bed”) al-Ha- sa, the chas which ars the traditional boundary between the biblical territories of do to the south and Moab to the north. lonely outpost, Khirbet et-Tannur is north of the ancient city of etra, beside the odern King’s Highway, which fol- lows the old caraan route that lined etra to aascus in yria, with way stations in between. These stops included Khirbet edh-harih, the other illage of Khirbet et-Tannur, to its south. Khirbet et-Tannur fourished over several centuries, from the 2nd century through to the iddle of the th century . t was a thriing sanctuary, and ar- chaeological eidence recoered fro ecaations shows it was an iportant place of pilgriage. orshippers paid tribute to their deities, feasted, and spent nights star- gaing and celebrating the beginning of the new year at the start of spring, or the harest later in the year. INTRODUCTION THE NABATAEANS -. The Khasneh top and the tobs with crowsteps botto show the i of classical and Near astern infuences at etra. etra, the Nabataean capital, looing east along the colonnaded street to the royal tobs. The Nabataeans The Nabataeans were ancient rabs who oed bac and forth through uch of or- dan and southern yria and controlled caraan routes across the desert. nitially no- adic, they eentually established settleents such as their capital etra in ordan, osra in yria, and their southern outpost Medain aleh Hegra in audi rabia. f these, etra is the best-nown, since its buildings and onuents hae sered as a bacdro to Hollyood flms such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , The Mummy Returns 2, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 2. etra was strategically located between the ed ea and the Mediterranean at the intersection of a ast trading networ, which brought goods fro gypt, yria, rabia, and een ndia. The earliest eidence for Nabataean settleent at etra dates to the th century . y the end of the st century , the city boasted rich architec- ture, roc-cut tobs, and an elaborate syste for the collection and conseration of water to ensure a year-round supply. n , the prosperous Nabataean ingdo becae part of the oan pire under the eperor Traan. Neertheless, although part of the wider oan pire, the Nabataeans still retained their own distinctie culture, refected in their art, architecture, and language. THE NABATAEANS -. The Khasneh top and the tobs with crowsteps botto show the i of classical and Near astern infuences at etra. INTRODUCTION THE DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION OF KHIRBET ET-TANNUR . eae asha beside his ipsy Moth, with ahaat ey Tabbarah, goernor of Kera, . Nelson luec and li bu hosh, . The se an aatn hbet etTann Khirbet et-Tannur was ecaated in by the erican archaeologist Nelson luec , then director of the erican chool of riental esearch in erusalem.
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