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Petra
For a short account on Petra see Emile C. Egan, `Petra's Wealth' in Archaeology, Mar/Apr 2004, p. 60.; Martha Sharp Joukowsky, Nabatean Petra in BASOR, Nov 2001, p. 1-7; Includes a modern, detailed sketch map of Petra and much more. We also learned that a more ancient name of Petra was Rekem, which is also the name of a Midian, Edomite clan or tribe, Numbers 31:8; Gen. 36:9; 1Ki. 11:17; Joel 3:19. [`The Biblical Archaeologist,' Vol. 36, 1973, p. 57.]
Petra, located about half way between the southern tip of the Dead Sea and the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqba, is now controlled by the kingdom of Jordan. When approaching it through the desert, you first pass through the narrow defile of Siq before you see the buildings carved out of massive rocks: the amphitheater, the palaces, temples, tombs, dining halls, and homes. But then there are the so-called red sand-stone stairs leading way up to the top where once stood an altar to the sun god, and where pagan priests worshiped Moloch, who required that people died for him, just the opposite of the Christian faith, where Jesus Christ, the Son, died for
His people in order to save them out of this world of sin.
The ancient site of Timna, the valley of copper mines, consists of a semi-circular, erosinal, copper rich valley formation of some 70 sq.km in size just north of ancient Eilat. The Timna Valley is located in the southwestern Arava, some 30 km. north of the Gulf of Eilat. The copper nodules found are said to contain ca. 55% copper on average. Others have located Timna in the Sinai and various other locations.
"Egyptian activity in Canaan is also well documented at the Timna copper mines in the Aravah Valley. The Egyptian finds in the temple at the foot of Solomon's Pillars indicate that the temple and the mines as a whole continued function until the days of Ramses V. Cartouches of Ramses III inscribed on the face of the rock in Timna and near Beerot Oded in the southern Negev indicate the route followed by the Egyptians across the Sinai desert and the southern Negev to Timna. [A. Ben-Tor, `The Archaeology of Ancient Israel', 1992, p. 262.]
Comments: Reading this same account with revised dates in mind for the 20th Dynasty reveals that the Persians fulfill the role to the background of the area and finds just as well or better than the Philistines. See also Here for the 2 paragraphs before this!
For a short account of the place name of Wenet which occurs 5 times in Egyptian sources: 1. In the Old Kingdom list of the official at Sakkara `li-Kai-Nedes', `a recruiter of the desert guides of Wenet'; 2. In the 5th Dynasty tomb of the scribe of the king's army `Kai-aper'; 3. In the 6th Dynasty tomb of `Mereri'; 4. In the 6th Dynasty tomb of `Seneb'; 5. In the Abydos tomb inscription of `Weni', governor of Upper Egypt. For more details see BA, Vol. 51, Sep 1988, p. 152f.
The Mountains of Seir
Seir is said to be a) the entire Edomite mountain range (at #1) from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba/Elan (Genesis 14:6; 32: 3), a distance of ca. 168 km/100 miles; b) It also seems to refer to a mountain ridge on Judah's border, west of `Kirjath-jearim' (Joshua 15:10).
A List of Wadis with images in the Sinai
Wadi Gharandel, Useyt, Tayibeh, Shellal, Dhaba, Suwiq, Nasb, Iqneh, Maghareh. [W.M. Flinders Petrie, Researches in Sinai, London, 1906.]
Jezirat Faraun
The island of Jezirat Faraun, Coral Island, located very close to Eilat is discussed and shown with very detailed maps and images in Alexander Flinder's, `Is this Solomon's Seaport?' in BAR, Vol. XV, Jul/Aug. 1989, p. 30-43; Vol. 32, No. 1, Jan/Feb 2006, p. 57.
The Uvda Valley
The Uvda Valley is located a few miles about west of Timna and includes locations named: Nahal Yitro, Nahal Recuel, Nahal Shaharut, Nahal Issaron, Macaleh Yitro, Macaleh Shaharut, Arava Valley and the Milhan well. Along a north / south road is Qtura, Grofit and Yotvata. [BA, Sep 1990, Vol. 53, No. 3, p. 139.]
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