The Perspectives of Nessana: New Studies of the “Caravan City” in Southern Israel

Nessana, a Byzantine and early Islamic period settlement in the Negev desert, emerges as a pivotal caravan junction on the Christian pilgrimage route to St. Catherine's Monastery in Sinai. This study highlights Nessana's transformation into an urbanized hub with a population of around five thousand people, supported by economic benefits from pilgrimage, numerous churches, and caravanserais. The research leverages unique archaeological evidence, including papyri, building inscriptions, and pilgrimage graffiti, to shed light on early Christian pilgrimage dynamics. Despite previous excavations, the site's stratigraphy and layout remain unclear, prompting a new expedition to address these gaps through systematic fieldwork and interdisciplinary analysis.

Tchekhanovets, Y. (2023). THE PERSPECTIVES OF NESSANA: NEW STUDIES OF THE “CARAVAN CITY” IN SOUTHERN ISRAEL. Rossiiskaia Arkheologiia, (2), 121–130. https://doi.org/10.31857/s0869606323020058