64 MEMOIR OF BURCKUARDT. 



Moab, Dibau, Aroer, Rabbath Moab, and the deep 

 beds of t *V' torrents, El Nale and El Modjib, which 

 he supposes to be the Xahaleel and Arnon. 



Kerek, which lies a few miles eastward from the 

 lower extremity of the Dead Sea, has long been, 

 and still is, an important position. The town is 

 built on the top of a precipice, surrounded on all 

 sides by a deep and narrow valley, but commanded 

 by the mountains beyond it. Originally it had only 

 two entrances, one to the south, and the other to 

 the north, which w^ere merely long dark passages 

 cut through the rock. It was anciently the princi- 

 pal city and fortress of the Nabathean Arabs ; and 

 during the first ages of their intercourse with the 

 Greeks, it was known to the latter by the name 

 of Petra, so often applied by them to barbarian hill- 

 posts. 



A^^len the Macedonians became acquainted with 

 this part of Syria by means of the expedition which 

 Antigonus sent out against the Nabatheans under 

 his son Demetrius, we are informed by Diodorus 

 that the Arabs placed their old men, women, and 

 children " upon a certain rock," steep, unfortified 

 by walls, and admitting only of one access to the 

 summit. From this description, and its vicinity to the 

 Lake Asphaltites (the Dead Sea), we may presume 

 that Kerek is the place here referred to by the 

 Greek historian; and that when the increase of 

 commerce required a situation better fitted for the 

 growing population and wealth of the Nabatheans, 

 the appellation of Petra was transferred to another 



