Architecture Links Petra and the Nilotic Hebrew

Temple of Horus at Edfu

I have shown that Abraham's Horite Hebrew caste dispersed into many territories. Nahor the Elder's territory extended virtually the length on the Euphrates. Other Horite Hebrew chiefs controlled a territory from Mt. Hor northeast of Kadesh-barnea to Mt. Harun at Petra. So ,it should not surprise us that the temple of Horus (above) resembles the architecture at Petra (below).

It can be argued that this architecture shows the influence of Egyptian culture on a non-Egyptian people, but that doesn't explain why Petra was built in that style. It is more likely that temple construction was overseen by Horite Hebrew ruler-priests who followed the tradition of their ancestors who established shrines and temples in many parts of the ancient world, including Nekhen on the Nile,the oldest known site of Horite Hebrew worship (4000 BC).

“Horite” does not refer to ethnicity, but to the caste's belief that the Creator God Re (meaning "father" in Ancient Egyptian) had a son named Horus/HR (HR means Most High One in Ancient Egyptian). His totem was the falcon, and he is connected to the all-seeing eye, the Sun, and Jupiter. Minutius Felix, an early Christian apologist, wrote, “Those who make Jupiter the sovereign deity, err only in name; they are one with us as to the unity of the power.”

Some Nabataean kings, such as Harithath IV, bear the Horus name. King Harithath is called King Aretas in 2 Corinthians 11:32. Coins have been found bearing the image of Aretas, and inscriptions have been found in the Nabataean town of Avdat with his name and the names of other Nabataean rulers. Aretas was called "King of the Nabatu, who loves his people" (Philopatris), and during his reign the greatest of Petra's tombs were created.

Petra is in modern day Jordan or ancient Edom. The connection to Egypt is evident in the name of Petra's central temple: Qasr al-Bint al-Faroun which means "The Fortress of the Daughter of Pharaoh." Its walls rise to over 75 feet. The temple was built between the late first century BC and the first century AD. Its precinct covers about 81,376 square feet or 7,560 square meters. A large open plaza was lined with 120 columns adorned with Asian elephant-head capitals, evidence of connections between ancient Edom and India and other lands of the ancient Near East. At its height of glory, Petra rivaled the grandeur of Herod's Jerusalem.

The word Nabataean is likely related to Naba or Nabu, the patron or guardian of scribes and prophets. This is the origin of the Hebrew word nabi, meaning prophet. Many early scribes were Hebrew priests. Babylonian kings sometimes bore the name Nabu, as with Nabu-shum-libur, Nabu-aplu-iddina, Nabo-polassar, Nebu-chadnezzar II, and Nabo-nidus.

In ancient times this region was the home of the Horite Hebrew chiefs listed in Genesis 36. The land was called "Idumea" by the Greeks which means "land of red people" because, like Esau of Edom (and King David), the people had a distinctive red skin tone.

Abraham's territory was entirely in ancient Edom. His northern and southern borders were marked by the settlements of his two wives. Sarah resided in Hebron to the north, and Keturah resided in Beersheba to the south. Those locations are shown on the map.

(Robert Bewley/APAAME) An aerial view of Baydha, north of Petra. The site

contains archaeological evidence spanning more than 10,000 years.

This region holds great interest for biblical archaeologists and biblical anthropologists. People were living in this region since Paleolithic times. Early farmers were settled here in 7000 BC.

Related reading: The Substance of Abraham's Faith; Abraham's Faith Lives in Christianity; The Ra-Horus-Hathor Narrative, Horite and Sethite Mounds, Horite Temples