Petra was a prosperous city in the desert hills almost 50 miles southeast of the Dead Sea. It stands at the eastern end of a narrow valley called the Wadi Musa (Arabic for "the valley of Moses") in Jordan, and was a stop on a major trade route for merchants bringing myrrh and spices from the East.
Over time Petra passed through the hands of several peoples. It is first mentioned in the Bible under the name Sela, as a fortress held by the Edomites. About 800 B.C.Sela was captured by King Amaziah of Judah. Then, in the fourth century B.C., the Nabateans, an Arab people, moved into the area and made Petra the capital of their large kingdom.
Skilled artisans and builders, the Nabateans carved out the ornate buildings that give Petra its fame. Although some of Perta's buildings were freestanding, nearly 800 public buildings and tombs were chiseled directly into the surrounding sandstone cliffs. Perhaps the most impressive was the treasury, a monumental temple with graceful columns and many intricate carvings.
Unfortunately, in A.D. 363 a powerful earthquake destroyed the magnificent city forever. Today, Petra is a haunting place that attracts travelers from all over the world. Its ruins look out from the sandstone cliffs, which have eroded into strange shapes and are streaked with varying shades of red, purple, and yellow.

