By M. Suyanto
The fundamental, economic strength of a nation can be obtained from two sources, namely that the source came from sources within and from outside. Sources from the economic of Nabataen in the production of bitumen, among others, raise horses and sheep, pottery and copper. Nabataen control the world’s bitumen production. Bitumen is a mixture of organic liquids that are thick, sticky, black, which can be entirely in the Carbon disulfide (CS 2). Bitumen we know with “asphalt”. Bitumen is used to embalm and for anti-ship and the water in Egypt, the value is very high. In Greek, bitumen, used as a cement wall in Babilonia. In Qartaj (Tunisia), bitumen used in construction.
Nabataen not only groom, but they breed and may have been involved in the development of the horse people Arabia. Horse of the Nabataen, when not to use force Roman war, is usually used for the circus and race around the Roman power. According to Diodorus, Nabataen also tend sheep. Nabataen pottery, which generate high quality and unique and produced in large numbers. Nabataen also empower the nation copper from the east side of Wadi Arabah to be exported.
Meanwhile, the earned income Nabataen from outside came from business with Arab, African, Indian and Chinese business includes incense, spices and luxury goods. According to the Periplus Maris Erythraei, traders ancient travel to India during the Roman power. Nabataen has a monopoly of some goods and generate the wealth that big. They visited Gadara, Gerasa, Rabbath-Ammon River, Egypt and Italy, Greece, Rhodes and Asia Minor. They also visited the Tiber River, Maeander, and the River Tigris River Eufrat. One of them is the leading port of Aila with the views of the water resources spring, cool palm trees and palm trees, which is located in the valley green hills south of Edom in the corner of Bay of Aqaba. Nabataen sail from Gaza and Ascalon through Caesarea and Alexandria across the Mediterranean to Italy and Greece. In Italy, they visited Puteoli close to Naples.
Throughout the two perama century CE, when the sea route to India increasingly recognized by the Roman sailors, when the caravan route from east to west gradually shift to the north and based in Palmyra, and when business from north to south, moving more to the east following the travel route PILGRIM and railway in Hjir at this time. Petra loss position and the importance, Nabataen kingdom began to decline. After the city’s role the decline in M 105, because of greed and the ruler of the sudden attack of the nation Trayan, Petra added Arabia (106 years) to power in the name of position of the Arababia-Roman, and since that time the history of Petra stopped for centuries.