powered by FreeFind	Timna Park 157 pictures     4 minutes HQ video Timna Park (approximately 25 km north of Eilat) lies in the middle of the Red Sea Desert, on the edge of the Arava, within the Hevel Eilot regional council. The horseshoe shaped park, created by tectonic action tens of millions of years ago, spreads over an area of 60 sq. kilometers and is part of the Syro-African Rift. Timna Copper mining in Timna began more than 6000 years ago, at the end of the fifth millennium B.C. Here in Timna Park we find the world's earliest mine, belonging to the period when man first learned to produce copper. And here too, began the technological revolution in the history of mankind, when metal began to be used in daily life. In the fourteenth through twelfth centuries B.C, Egyptian expeditions established, here in the breathtaking scenery, an enormous copper mining operation (from the days of Pharaoh Seti I through Ramses V). Partners to this Egyptian activity were the residents of northern Arabia, the Midianites. The ancient Egyptians used mules to carry the copper loaves to the only natural port on the Gulf of Eilat, located at the "Coral Island", Gezirat Faran. In the estimation of researchers, this island was also the early site of the port which was renovated and built by King Solomon in "Ezion-Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the Land of Edom" (Kings I). In the first and second centuries A.D., mining was done by the Romans and by the Arabs after their conquest. Copper producing camp 7000 years of copper mining in the timna valley - the technology of copper mining in Timna developed in three distinct stages: towards the end of the Stone Age, in the 6th millennium B.C., 'miners' collected ore nodules from the surface of the mineralized zone and also dug pits in the search of copper ore ("pit mining"). In the early Chalcolithic period, the 5th millennium B.C., miners followed outcropping copper ore nodules into the depth of the rock. With heavy stone hammers they opened rough shafts, 3 to 5 meters deep, leading down to rich copper ore deposits. These were exploited by extensive, rather irregular mining. These were exploited by extensive, rather irregular mining galleries, the earliest underground mines of ancient world. In the 14th to 12th centuries B.C., the period of the new Kingdom of Egypt, Pharaonic mining expeditions developed extensive copper industries in the Timna valley. Their sophisticated mining technology was based on well planned, extensive systems of shafts and galleries. Some of these had a depth of 40 meters in several superimposed levels, connected by internal shafts, experts from the land of Midian. Smelting camp This camp is from the Ramsesside Period (13-12 century B.C.). Furance One smelting process took 10-12 hours and produced 5 kg. of copper. The mushroom The mushroom-shaped rock is carved by wind and water erosion out of the red sandstone. Temple A local shrine for the production site workers. It contains offering tables, a basin, and five standing stones. The small finds include animals bones, fruit remains, stone and clay vessels. Jewish candelabrum near a Roman mine Jewish seven-branched candelabrum, with ram's horn and censer, at an improvised synagogue near a large Roman mine in the mountains of Eilat. The Latin inscription reads "Victoria Aug(usti)C(aesaris)" (victory of the Emperor), and is a witness to the 'war of culture' between the Romans and Jews also in the remot region. Offerings to the goddess Hathor Pharaoh Ramesses III offering notive gifts to the Egyptian goddess Hathor. The drawing is engraved on a cliff above the Timna mining temple and the inscription below reads "the arrival of the Royal butler Ramessesemperre", the manager of the Pharaonic copper mines of the Timna valley. the chariots This drawing was incised into the rock with a sharp point and many lines filled in with red and light grey color. This technique of rock engraving was only known in our region in ancient Egypt. On both sides of the drawing ox-drawn chariots are manned by Egyptian soldiers who brandish battle axes; some also carry a short sword and a round shield. They wear a lion cloth,folded in front into a pointed apron, typical for the soldiers of the new Kingdom. The center of the drawing shows a hunting scene. Woman giving birth in the desert A woman giving birth in the posture of the Bedouins, the wide-open mouth expressing her labour pains. 1st millennium A.D. A hunt in the third millennium B.C. Hunting ibexes with salukis, the typical hunting dog of the desert, in the Negev mountains, in the third millennium B.C. Solomon's Pillars Solomon's Pillars are the result of natural erosion, typical of red sandstone: moisture seeps into the fissures and causes the crumbling of the rock, the exterior outer layer of the stone is more resistant to the erosion and a view of long hollow spaces filled with "pillars" is formed. Temple of goddess of mines and turquoise, Hathor A square room with three cultic recesses set into the bottom of the rock face. Duplicates include standing stone, offering tables, libation basins and deity images, more than 11,000 cultic offerings were found. They include copper, stone and clay figurines, broken pots, items of copper, gold, lead, wood, faience, precious stones, and a quantity of animal, bird and fish bones. Of the three deities found, the goddess Hathor, was the most important in this temple. Among the cultic offerings were thirty items containing the names of nine Egyptian Kings, all from the 19-20 Dynasties (in the 13-12 centuries B.C.). Back to Israel Index