The following article is part of the "Biblical Obscurities" blog series by Mike Velthouse, author of Journey Through the Psalms. For years, Mike has been writing articles for his church's monthly newsletter on a number of "obscurities" within the Bible. We will be reprinting many of those articles here on the RFPA blog. Join our email list here to receive a notification in your inbox for new additions to this blog series! PCs: Adobe Stock.

Come with me to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Come with me to Petra, Jordan: a city lost for centuries, carved from stone, in the middle of a desert wasteland. 

To begin our tour, we must enter the city via the only accessible way. We start with a two-mile walk through a gorge that was formed when a huge rock mountain split in two. This long, winding crevice, known as The Siq, provides a unique and memorable landscape. On either side of us, rose-colored sandstone walls soar to over 200 feet tall. We must strain our necks as far back as possible to see the top of them, with the brilliant blue sky just beyond. Sometimes the path narrows to only six feet across, then just as suddenly opens up to a width of 30 feet. 

There are so many things to notice! We hear the cries of birds flying overhead. We see water channels cut into the rock, running parallel to us on the left, and water pipes made of pottery doing the same on our right. There are ancient drawings of camels and other animals on the walls. We notice god-heads and sculpted incense altars carved into the sides of the gorge. 

As we near the end of The Siq, a large courtyard begins to come into focus ahead. But we must prepare for what we see first as we step out into the open. We stand amazed as our eyes fix on what is known as The Kazneh, or The Treasury. This immense structure is a two-story masterpiece of architecture wholly carved from the face of another sandstone cliff. As we admire the view, we feel the unrelenting and persistent sun enveloping us. The air is dry, and we reach for our water bottles.

Other things we will visit on this tour include a Roman theater, towering obelisks, a main street that still shows remnants of stores and residences cut into the rock, and the side of another mountain with a thousand crypts and royal tombs scattered throughout.

Now, what does all this have to do with the Bible? To understand the historical significance of this area, let’s explore some Bible history.

Petra was originally in the land of Edom, inhabited by descendants of Esau. The nations of Israel and Edom were always enemies of each other, going back to when Edom refused to let Israel travel through their country on the way to Canaan (Numbers 20). There were many wars between the two countries. Edom fought against Saul (1 Samuel 14), David (2 Samuel 8), Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20), and Ahaziah (Petra is called Sela in 2 Kings 14). Edom even gave aid and encouragement to Babylon upon the destruction of Jerusalem (Psalm 137).

By the time of the New Testament, this area was called Nabatea, and Petra was its capital.  Transformed from a region of nomads and goat herders to the headquarters of a wealthy country, Petra became the center of spice trading for the area. All roads used for commerce converged at the entrance to Petra, hosting merchants from as far east as India, south from the Persian Gulf, west from the Mediterranean Sea, and north from Syria.

Nabatea's most powerful ruler, Aretas IV, built much of what we toured earlier. Aretas' daughter Phasaelis was the first wife of Herod Antipas. When Herod divorced her and married Herodias instead, John the Baptist confronted and rebuked him. This episode led to John's imprisonment and subsequent beheading.

There is much speculation that Bible references to "Arabia" mean, specifically, Petra. One such exciting instance of Arabia in Bible history is found in the life of the Apostle Paul. As we know, Paul was sent to Arabia to be taught by the Lord for three years (Galatians 1:17, Acts 9:22). Although there are no details provided in the Bible regarding these years of Paul's life, we can implicitly connect some dots.

For example, in 2 Corinthians 11:32-33 we read: "In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands."

Why would the governor and King Aretas of Petra want to arrest Paul in Damascus, Syria, way to the north of Jerusalem? Logic would lead us to believe that Paul had been in Petra proclaiming the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, Paul would not have kept quiet during this time in Arabia but would have been unashamed of the gospel, beginning his life's mission of preaching to the Gentiles in this very city. Aretas would have wanted the apostle arrested after he realized the impact of Paul's preaching a non-Nabatean religion to the inhabitants there.

So, what happened to Petra? Many Old Testament prophecies predicted the destruction of Petra. Look up Isaiah 34, Jeremiah 49, Obadiah, and Malachi 1, to name a few. All these passages condemn Edom and predict destruction and abandonment in the nation's future. It's believed that there were several earthquakes in Petra around the year 363 A.D., and extensive damage caused the populace to abandon the city.

It was not until 1812 that the first Europeans entered Petra, and it’s been the focus of large-scale archeological excavations and tours ever since.

Petra means "rock," as we know from Jesus changing Simon's name to Peter and using the disciple's confession as the rock on which he built his church. The history of Petra reminds us that all rocks in this life are earthly and can be destroyed by God in a moment, including all the edifices carved in Petra. In stark contrast, our rock is Jesus Christ, the rock and sure foundation of our lives, families, and churches. As Psalm 18:2 says, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength in whom I trust.”

Like what you've read? Click the image below to read more from author Mike Velthouse in the thirty-day devotional Journey Through the Psalms, available now on rfpa.org and in Christian bookstores near you!