Nabataean agriculture: Myth and reality

For many decades, the agricultural installations present throughout the hyper-arid Negev Highlands in southern Israel have been attributed to the ancient Nabataeans. In this article, the origin of this theory will be examined together with past and current research concerning the development of agriculture among the Nabataeans. The earliest form of agriculture among the Nabataeans appears to have been spring-water irrigation. Run-off farming using barrages and terraces appear to have been a later development in the Negev Highlands and this form of agriculture became wide-spread in the Late Antique period (4th-7th centuries CE)following the collapse of long-distance trade in the 3rd century CE.