Al Bad’
Moses spring
We find ourselves in the oasis city of “Al Bad’”.
Near the oasis are the dwellings of Jethro, the “Priest of Midian” and also Moses’ father-in-law. At the edge of the oasis we find a deep spring named after Moses.
Moses is said to have tended Jethro’s sheep here after fleeing from Egypt to Midian.
Here he married Jethro’s daughter, Zipporah, who bore him two sons.
Jethro’s living rooms
The designation of the spring as “Moses Spring”, as well as the dwellings of Jethro, are traditional names, i.e. names from the vernacular.
The former name of today’s city of Al Bad’ was “Madyan” and Madyan corresponds to the former “Midian”.
Here on the edge of the oasis, the Jethro dwellings are carved into the soft rock.
This made perfect sense, as it was not too hot in the caves in summer and not too cold in winter. In the 1st century AD, the caves were taken over by the Nabataeans and converted into burial sites.
In the 1st century AD, the Nabataeans took over the dwellings and converted them into burial sites.
Maqna and the oases
From Al Bad’ we drive through a beautiful mountain landscape to Maqna on the Gulf of Aqaba.
Here and along the Gulf, coming from the south, we want to see various oases that could be connected with the Exodus of the Israelites. But unfortunately there is a STOP before Maqna.
Here and along the Gulf of Aqaba they are building for NEOM and we have no access .
Schade, wir sind enttäuscht.
So drehen wir um und fahren auf Nebenstrassen und einer Piste wieder zurück in Richtung Tabuk, wo sich der Kreis schliesst und wir eine Wüstenfahrt geplant haben.
