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Document Details : Title: Nabataean Standing Stones and their Interpretation Author(s): AVNER, Uzi Journal: ARAM Periodical Volume: 11 Date: 1999-2000 Pages: 97-122 DOI: 10.2143/ARAM.11.1.504453 Abstract : Standing stones, or maṣṣeboth in Biblical literature, are stones set into the ground, individually or in groups, and range from a few centimeters to several meters high. In the Near East they are primarily known from the Levant, but are found in Arabia and the Sahara deserts as well. In the Nabataean Culture they are called neṣṣibe or masgida. Large obelisks are known from Petra, and several sites contain niches carved into the sandstone rocks with pillar-like bas reliefs. Lesser known are many small standing stones found in the vast Nabataean domain. The author describes these stones and discusses their meaning. |
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