The designation suggests that these were "cave-dwellers," but although many caves and hollows have been found about Petra (and also in Palestine), this tradition probably "serves only to express the idea entertained by later generations concerning their predecessors" (Noldeke).
En-Nejr, with the theatre at its foot, must have been the sacred mountain, the original sanctuary of Petra, perhaps " the very high mountain of Arabia called Dusare after the god Dusares " referred to by Steph.
All former descriptions are now superseded by the magnificent work of Brunnow and Domaszewski, Die Provincia Arabia (1904), who have minutely surveyed the whole site, classified the tombs, and compiled the accounts of earlier investigations; and by the independent researches of Dalman, Petra and seine Felsheiligtiimer (1908), and of Musil, Arabia Petraea (1907-1908).
The occupation of the pass of Furlo (Petra Pertusa) by the Goths prevented his marching by the Via Flaminia, but, taking a short circuit, he rejoined the great road near Cagli.
It was traversed by an important trade-route from Elath (the junction for routes to Egypt and Arabia) which ran northwards by Mean and Moab; but cross-routes turned from Ma`an and Petra to Gaza or up the Ghor (south end of Dead Sea) to Hebron and Jerusalem.'
