• from The Ancient Theatre Archive

• Fig. 23 - Location Map
  Fig. 23
  
  Satellite view of Petra with location of spa buildings.
  
  Baths associated with a house in green
  
  baths associated with a religious complex in red
  
  (MAFP / Ifpo - Th. Fournet 2018, with a Google Basemap).
  
  Tholbecq et al (2018)
  from Tholbecq et al (2018)
• Fig. 1 - Location Map
  Fig. 1
  
  Sabra site plan published by Léon de Laborde with locations of the sanctuary and baths
  
  (LABORDE 1830, pl. 33)
  
  Fournet & Tholbecq (2015)
  from Fournet & Tholbecq (2015)

• Wadi Sabra Theater in Google Earth
  Wadi Sabra Theater location in Google Earth
  
  click on image to explore this site on a new tab in Google Earth

• Fig. 13 - Drawing of Wadi Sabra
  Fig. 13
  
  The theatre of Wâdî Sabrah in 1828, as published by L. de Laborde (1830: pl. 34)
  
  Tholbecq et. al. (2016)
  Theater from 1828 from Tholbecq et. al. (2016)

• from Tholbecq et al (2019)
• There appears to be evidence for two earthquake destructions

Phase	Phase Label	Date	Comments
1	Digging and development of the cavea	no later than the 2nd century CE	This phase corresponds to the rock development of the Sabra theater; no structure or occupation prior to the building has been observed, neither under the built parts of the monument nor in its immediate surroundings. The first available surveys made it possible to restore a Greek-type horseshoe theater This phase must take place no later than the 2nd century CE, without further details for the moment.
2	Closure of the theatrical space and monumentalization of the facade	2nd century CE	This phase is better documented and corresponds to the monumentalization of the theater. an elaborate and manicured building that was built during the 2nd century CE. This dating is relatively reliable on the basis of various surveys
3	Partial destruction and reassignment	2nd-3rd century CE	During this phase, the monument was transformed without knowing whether it completely lost its functionality as a spectacle building. Various clues suggest that the theater underwent violent destruction, at least on the north side: the upper parts of the walls seem to have been destroyed, then rebuilt by recycling collapsed bleacher seats. Another hypothesis would be to see it as an intermediate phase of abandonment of the theater, with a voluntary dismantling. the chronology of this transformation [] happened no later than the 3rd century CE since the landfills were used in the 3rd and 4th centuries CE
4	Construction of a barrier wall to the south of the theater and new secondary facilities.	Late Roman or Byzantine	This phase occurs at a date still undetermined (Late Roman period or Byzantine but not later) We do not know when the destruction of the northern masonry of the orchestra occurred, at the level of the old corridor, rebuilt using the stone seats during the previous phase. However, this destruction is directly posed, both in sounding 2 and in sounding 7, on the embankments of the 3rd-4th centuries CE; we can therefore deduce that this event (earthquake?) occurs shortly after the late Roman period, or even during this period. The monument will no longer be occupied after this phase, being marked only by natural horizons of aeolian and alluvial sediments.

• from from Tholbecq et al. (2022)
• Phasing is a bit messy - gleaned from various sections in the report where chronology is not always explicitly tied to a phase

Phase	Date	Comments
1	2nd century CE -	The first phase of the building, dating from the 2nd century AD, is characterized by a massive base on a podium composed of large blocks of red sandstone and a foundation of flint stones which contained massive anthropogenic embankments . THE WEST CORNER OF THE BUILDING (SECTOR 2022.12) - Sector 12 was located in the west corner of the building where a few walls had been spotted on the surface in 2021. Four rooms were uncovered (P10 to P13) (fig. 7). Under all the masonry, a series of embankments (12045, 12053, 12056 and 12057) containing abundant ceramic furniture testify to a first occupation, prior to the building. These different horizons comprising thousands of ceramic shards are found in all of the areas excavated – including in 2021 at the southern corner – and could be interpreted as remains of meals (banquets?), prior to the building or as backfill in a secondary position used during its construction. This furniture could be dated to the end of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd century AD. We will therefore place the construction of the building in this same chronological range or directly afterwards. The building appears to be constructed at the end of the 1st or beginning of the 2nd century AD. It is not yet very clear whether the first embankments encountered predate the structure or whether they were added in such a way as to raise a first ground level. In all cases, they constitute considerable dumpsites dating from the end of the 1st or the beginning of the 2nd century AD, including a large quantity of tableware. These remains of meals could be associated with important religious festivals which may have taken place at Sabra, which would be confirmed by the presence of a small theater directly to the east and the sanctuary further to the south. From the primitive phase of the building, only the peripheral walls and a few sections remain. supposed within the building. The topographical position, in the middle of the road that the valley formed during Antiquity to connect Wadi Arabah to Petra, constitutes a first-order clue to define the function of the building: probably supplied with water via the aqueduct located a few meters further to the north, it could be a caravanserai or hospitalia linked to the religious site.
Burning Event	2nd half of the 2nd century CE - beginning of the 3rd century CE	Room 11 (P11) - ... After the construction of these first architectural complexes, a series of recharges of embankments (12032, 12035, 12036, 12037) give way to a soil (12031) very rubified and loaded with coal (fig. 14), observed at the level 821.54 m. This level, also located in P12 (12030), therefore suggests a continuous open space between the two rooms. These characteristic traces of a fire were also spotted in other places, and could thus testify to a violent episode affecting the entire building. Ceramics allow us to date this event between the second half of the 2nd and the beginning of the 3rd century AD.
2		During the next phase, all levels are raised, and the interior space is divided into several small rooms by walls of varying thickness and construction. This phase could be associated with the reconstruction of the exterior masonry in blocks of yellow limestone linked to lime and ash mortar, which can be observed in the northeast corner of the building.
Burning Event	middle of the 3rd and the 4th century CE	Room 5 (P5) - ... A layer of black ash about ten centimeters thick (10054) resulting from the fire which must have ravaged the building between the middle of the 3rd and the 4th century sealed the second level of occupation. This layer was observed south of 10065.
3		phase 3 is characterized by the destruction of the staircase, a succession of ashen occupation levels dated from the 4th century AD in P3, the blocking of the drain of P1, the leveling of the dividing wall between P1 and P3 and the repair of certain masonry internal. [JW: This description could be Phase 2 or Phase 3] Significant transformations, obliterating previous occupations, are taking place in the third century. The building was extensively rebuilt and circulation levels were raised. With one floor, the building seems to be organized around a central courtyard and a large paved room. The occupation lasted until the 4th century, with a series of progressive redevelopments.Radiocarbon dating will confirm the date of a widespread fire in all the rooms. A military presence is possible during this period, which would be confirmed by other clues on the Sabra site: the presence of a tower further south at the acropolis, the transformation of the theater into a closed (fortified?) space. and the composition of ceramic assemblages. The plan, although incomplete, already offers some comparisons with other proven military fortresses in the surrounding area (Palumbo et al. 1993; Erickson-Gini & Israel 2013) [JW: This appears to refer to the military buildup in Arabia Petraea at the start of the 4th century during the reign of Roman Emperor Diocletian.].
Falling Event		Corridor 12 (P12) - ... In corridor 12, a final phase of occupation, corresponding to blockage 12021 of door 12020 (fig. 19), is formed by a level 8 to 10 cm thick, very compact pink beige with numerous lime nodules ( 12025). Next comes a thick compact layer of silt light brown with a heavy stony load and small sized blocks (12024), testifying to a long phase of abandonment. Located in the southern corner of corridor P12, a small charcoal pocket (12008) containing furniture dating from the 4th century AD is interspersed with large flat slabs of sandstone 1.20 m long. These could be witnesses to the occupation of the first floor in a falling position. The area is then uniformly covered with a thick layer of destruction (12009) more than a meter thick.

• from Tholbecq et. al. (2023:117)

A second, later phase of abandonment is perceptible on the grounds of the caravanserai. Already observed during the 2022 campaign, it is attributable to the end of the 4th century, probably following the earthquake of 363 (with consistent radiocarbon dates), corroborating the idea of a general abandonment of the Sabra wadi in this chronological horizon.

• from Tholbecq et. al. (2024:136)

The site of Sabra extends over ca. 20 ha in a narrow valley 6.5 km south of Petra. It includes a major Nabataean-Roman sanctuary, a rock-cut theater, and a small settlement. In 2022, a team representing Université libre of Brussels (ULB, Belgium) carried out a second excavation season on a ca. 23 by 14.5 m structure lying in the bed of the Wadi Sabra, ca. 45 m west of the theater (Fig. 1). The objective was to determine the nature of the building and to compare its chronology with the phasing of the theater defined during previous excavation seasons (Tholbecq et al. 2020).

Three major conclusions can be drawn. First, the newly excavated building is constructed on top of massive late 1st/early 2nd -century AD dumps connected to banquets (table vessels), although there is no way to establish if these dumps are in situ or were brought there through terracing activities linked with the initial phase of the building. Nevertheless, they provide a terminus for the construction of the building, likely contemporary to the post-annexation development of the sanctuary and its associated bath complex (Fournet and Tholbecq 2015). Secondly, a rectangular sandstone structure, probably supplied with water from a nearby aqueduct, was built on flintstone foundations. This early building was severely destroyed by heavy flooding and its destruction seals archaeological finds securely dated to the first half of the 3rd century AD. Its function remains unknown, but one may tentatively suggest a caravanserai, mansio, or hospitalia connected to the sanctuary. Third, its ruins were then refurbished, using specific yellow limestone blocks bonded with lime mortar; several small rooms were distributed around a central paved courtyard, and the building was equipped with small latrines. Since there is possible evidence of a military installation in other parts of the site (e.g., fortification of the “acropolis,” construction of a corner tower topping the site, and Late Roman melting activities), we believe that the 2nd - century AD building, ruined around the mid-3rd century, was reallocated to military purposes and transformed into a small fort in the mid- or second half of the 3rd century. The fort was finally destroyed by fire in the mid-4th century, probably following the earthquake of 363, a date confirmed by several converging ¹⁴C analyses. In other words, the occupation sequence of this building echoes the phasing of the 2nd -century AD theater, with a rapid abandonment of its original function, followed by the closure of its orchestra, likely connected to the presence of a small local garrison in the last century of its existence.

Fournet, T., & Tholbecq, L. (2015). LES BAINS DE SABRĀ: UN NOUVEL ÉDIFICE THERMAL AUX PORTES DE PÉTRA. Syria, 92, 33–44. - JSTOR

Lindner, M. (1982) “An Archaeological Survey of the Theater Mount and Catchwater Regulation System at Sabra, South of Petra, 1980 ”, ADAJ 26, p. 231-242.

Lindner, M. (2005) “Water Supply and Water Management at Ancient Sabra (Jordan)”, PEQ 137.1, p. 33-52.

Lindner, M. (2006a) "Theater, Theater, Theater ... Zu Forschungen der Naturhistorischen Gesellschaft in Sabra", Natur und Mensch. Jahresmitteilungen der Naturhistorischen Gesellschaft Nürnberg, 2006, p. 75-84.

Tholbecq, L. (2016) « Petra. Wadi Sabra Archaeological Project » in G.J. Corbett, D.R. Keller, B.A. Porter & Ch. P. Shelton (Ed.), « Archaeology in Jordan, 2014 and 2015 Seasons », American Journal of Archaeology 120.4, 2016, p. 666-668, fig. 24.

Tholbecq, L., (2016) “Petra. Wadi Sabra Archaeological Project ”, GJ Corbett et al. (Ed.), “Archaeology in Jordan, 2014 - 2015 ”, AJA 120.4, p. 666-668.

Tholbecq, L., Fournet, T., Paridaens, N., Delcros, S., & Durand, C. (2016). Ṣabrah, a satellite hamlet of Petra. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 46, 277–297.

Tholbecq, L., (2022). Théâtres associés à des espaces cultuels au Proche-Orient romain : à propos de quelques travaux récents Annales du Centre scientifique de l’Académie polonaise des Sciences à Paris, 23, 2022, p. 274-278.

Tholbecq, L. et al. (2024) Petra: Khirbat Sabra In. Pearce Paul Creasman, Jack Green and China P. Shelton (Eds.), Archaeology in Jordan 4, 2022-2023 Seasons, p. 136-137

L. Tholbecq, T. Fournet, N. Paridaens, S. Delcros, G. Dumont & C. Durand (2015) “The Nabateo-Roman site of Wadi Sabra: inventory, survey and working hypotheses”, L. Tholbecq (Ed. ), French archaeological mission of Pétra: Report of the archaeological campaigns 2014 - 2015, Brussels, p. 63-100.

Tholbecq, L., et al. (2019). Mission archéologique française à Pétra. Rapport des campagnes archéologiques 2018-2019.

Tholbecq, L., et al. (2021). Mission archéologique française à Pétra. Rapport des campagnes archéologiques 2021.

Tholbecq, L., et al. (2022). Mission archéologique française à Pétra. Rapport des campagnes archéologiques 2022.

Tholbecq, L., et al. (2023). Mission archéologique française à Pétra. Rapport des campagnes archéologiques 2023.

academia.edu page for Laurent Tholbecq

Wadi Sabra at Manar Al-Athar (Oxford University)

Al Sabra suburb at Nabateae.net