Rehovot-in-the-Negev
Rehovot-in-the-Negev, from , derived from Khirbet Ruheibeh, is an archaeological site in the Wadi er-Ruheibeh area of the central Negev in Israel, containing the remains of an ancient town. Apparently founded in the first century CE by the Nabateans, it was a thriving city by the fifth century during the Byzantine period, when it grew to more than 10,000 inhabitants, thanks to its being on the Arabian incense trade route.
By population, Rehovot-in-the-Negev was the second largest of the Byzantine-period "Negev towns".
The city was repeatedly hit by earthquakes, the major 7th-century seismic event which destroyed Avdat also leading to the abandonment of this city.
Location
Rehovot-in-the-Negev was situated alongside a branch of the ancient Incense Road that connected the Negev with Sinai.Research history
In 1838, Edward Robinson visited the site, becoming the first modern Western scholar to do so. Archaeological excavations were conducted from 1975 to 1979, with a final season taking place in 1986. These digs were led by Yoram Tsafrir, in collaboration with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Israel Exploration Society.Archaeology
The settlement spans around 120 dunams, making it the second-largest Byzantine-period city in the Negev, after Elusa (Haluza). Contrary to earlier aerial views suggesting a regular Roman street grid, excavations revealed that the streets were irregular. The buildings were densely packed yet spacious, with roofs constructed from stone beams supported by arches.Four churches have been identified at the site: central, northern, eastern, and southern. The central church is a single-apse basilica, with a marble-paved nave and chancel, and a preserved synthronon. It includes flanking rooms with arched ceilings. The church was constructed in two phases, the later one dating to the mid-6th century CE. It featured marble screen panels and an altar featuring evidence of a ciborium.
The North Church was located outside the main residential area and is a triapsidal basilica, likely part of a monastery complex. It featured a large crypt beneath the chancel, designed to facilitate uninterrupted processions, similar to pilgrimage churches in Bethlehem and Sinai. Greek inscriptions, including dedications and funerary texts, were discovered at the church, with some found in situ. The church was constructed in the 5th century CE, with burials continuing into the mid-6th century. The earliest funerary inscription is dated to 488 CE, and the latest is from 555 CE.
Other churches were located on the eastern and southern edges of the town.