Shivta (Subeita) is the most isolated of the Nabatean towns, founded in the early Roman period (first centry B.C.E.). It was an important Byzantine town in the 4th to 7th centuries C.E. on the caravan route from Egypt to Anatolia. The ruins include Byzantine churches, houses, tiled streets, and an impressive irrigation system. Shivta National Park is in the western Negev. There is no spring at Shivta, and not a single well. All of the runoff water was collected in cisterns. The population was more than two thousand.
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Last modified 29 June 2016