DAY 1: (Timna National Park)
Timna national park
Known for being rich in deposits of copper ore, this stretch of desert has been extensively mined by various civilizations since as far back as the 14th century BC (yes, humans have been raping mother nature since the beginning of time). Original excavations (strictly for research purposes, yes, research purposes) attributed the earliest mining to the Edomites, the foes of the Israelites, in the bible (they’re not that bad once you get to know them). Mining continued under the expanding Israelite kingdom (making the Edomites an early victim of gentrification) followed by the expanding Nabateans (don’t dish it out if you can’t take it, Israelites) in the 1st and 2nd centuries BC, respectively. The mine was “closed for repairs” under Roman rule (they had better things to do), not reopening for business until the 7th century CE under the Ummayad caliphate but only for a brief time as copper became scarce (you mean natural resources run out? who knew! certainly not humans). The modern day Israeli government found new deposits of copper and went through a mining phase in its adolescent years (copper mining is the future!) but eventually came to its good sense and established a park to preserve the land, not for the sake of preserving it but due to its significant archaeological value. When the ruins were first discovered, everything was blindly attributed to King Solomon, due to a religious connection to the land (scientific method be damned), resulting in the still-used place names Solomon’s Pillars and Solomon’s Mines (“Solomon Solomon Solomon!” said Solomon’s uglier and neglected younger sister). The first excavation, as stated above, linked the foundation of the mines to the Edomites but further excavation linked the mines beyond the times of Solomon, and all the way back to the times of Ancient Egypt. The discovery of the Temple of Hathor, specifically devoted to the Egyptian god of mining, left no doubts as to the purpose of the Egyptian presence.
(the discovery of Temple of Hathor, specifically devoted to the Egyptian god of mining, is a dead giveaway)
current excavations focused on using evidence to draw conclusions about early copper production and society around it
recetn excavation found camel bones with signs of domestication from 930 BC
events of the bible may have been written as early as this time, as caravans of camels are often mentioned in stories
1990 expedition found 10,000 copper mines, smelting camps, temples and shrines with an ancient egyptian influence
temple of hathor - goddess of egyptian minining - built during the reign of pharoah set I - 14th century BCE
damaged by earthquakes but rebuilt and expanded by ramses II in the 13th century BCE
rock carving of ramses III with hathor adjacent to the shrines
egyptian left in 12th century, site used by midianites who got rid of most of the iconography
the most famous carving is known as chariots - egyptian warriors holding weapons, driving cattle
park is also notable for its rock formations, including pillar shaped rocks formed by water erosion
named solomon’s pillars despite not having any connection
rock called the mushroom, a type of hoodoo formation, also formed by water erosion and surrounded by ore smelting sites
and arches - no arches national park
ibex and gazelles roam freely and a carving suggests ostriches also once lived here (never forget)
rock climbing, info center with 4d film, site for concerts and a recreation of tabernacle moses built to worship god on the go
