Location, access

From the village of the same name (as-Sila) higher up, one looks down on the furrowed rock of soft light sandstone, but can hardly make out anything of the once fortified complex on the summit.

The special magic of the place is revealed only when you know about its history - and, of course, climb up to it. Research has identified the mountain as being the site of Sela, mentioned in the Bible, where Amaziah, King of Judah, is said to have thrown 10,000 Edomites from the rock in the early 8th century BC, but there is no evidence of this. A unique historical testimony of New Babylonian rule over the region is the relief of King Nabonid (555-539 BC) high on the rock (see further down on the page). The first written record of the Nabataeans tells of the raid of Greek troops in 311 BC on their camp on a difficult-to-capture mountain called "petra" (Greek: rock), but it is in fact this Sela.

 The plundering of Sela in 311 B.C.

On the plateau, which measures about 900 x 600 meters, the remains of towers and defensive structures, residential buildings - some with traces of painted stucco -, places of worship and residential homesteads carved out of the rock can be seen. More than a hundred structures for collecting and storing rainwater have been found, which was vital because there are no springs or wells on the mountain. Several pear-shaped or bell-shaped cisterns with plastered interior walls are quite well preserved.

Most of it was built by the Edomites and Nabataeans, but often it is not clear what dates from which period. Through surface finds, especially pottery shards, it is known that Sela was also used repeatedly from the Roman, Ayyubid, Mamluk to Ottoman periods.

The arrow indicates where the relief is located high up on the rock face.

When approaching the mountain, you have to look very carefully upwards to see a unique relief carved into the rock face to the left of the ascent at a height of about 90 meters. It was discovered only in 1994, and from 1996 it was examined several times from near, which required the help of mountaineers.

On the 2.95 x 2.20 m large relief, cut about 20 cm deep into the stone, stands a man with long robe, staff and conical headgear. By comparison with similar depictions on stelae and the only still legible line "I am Nabonid" of a long, heavily weathered text in cuneiform script, he could be identified as the Neo-Babylonian king Nabonid (reigned 555-539 BC). With his right arm he points or salutes in the direction of a crescent moon, a winged sun, and a seven-pointed star. They are interpreted as the astral symbols of the sky gods Sin, Shamash and Ishtar. Probably the relief was painted.

On his campaign against the northern Arabian Tayma, Nabonid passed through Transjordan in 552 BC. On the way, he destroyed the royal seat and other settlements in the kingdom of Edom and brought it under his rule. The relief of Sela was created in this context.

To reach the summit plateau, one ascends a steep ancient stairway with steps hewn and built out of the rock, some of which have been restored or newly constructed. The last stretch leads through a narrow straightened gorge, called "Siq" analogous to Petra.

Gate structure and main tower

Once at the top, you walk past a high wall to the entrance. Of the gate structure, cut from the massive rock and supplemented by walls, a mighty rock pillar remained on the left side. The entrance could be closed by a wooden gate, secured from the inside by beams, as indicated by holes made for this purpose.

Behind the gate rises the main tower of Sela, a steep hewn rock with a mural crown. In it there is said to be a pear-shaped cistern accessible from above, about 6 m deep, probably from the Edomite period. It had to be filled by water brought up in hoses made of animal skins. Unfortunately, we could not see it because the climb up the tower is too dangerous.

On the east side of the tower, the rock has been cut away in the lower part and a kind of wall-walk has been built, which can be reached from the gate building. From there, it was possible to attack aggressors who climbed up through the straightened ravine (so-called Siq). Now this passage is interrupted, which did not stop Slamah Al Qrara'h, a teacher from the nearby village, from jumping over the gap. We happened to meet him at the top of the stairs and he offered to show us the main sights of Sela, which would have been difficult to find without his help. Slamah is a very good contact if you need a local guide - see his phone number below.

On the southeast side of the tower, some steps from the former ascent have been preserved. The rock here has been chipped and plastered into a straight surface with an arched finish. The lower area is delimited by walls on both sides. It is believed to be the remains of a larger cistern. Apparently, a rope for drawing or filling the water was attached to the tie hole carved into the rock at the top.

Since there are no springs or wells on the summit plateau, the water from the occasional, but then often heavy rains had to be collected in cisterns. These are pear-shaped or bell-shaped with small opening and plastered waterproof inside because of the soft sandstone. Through channels in the surface of the rock, the rainwater was collected and directed to the cisterns.

On the southeastern edge of the site below the main tower are the remains of structures whose floors, bases, walls, and stairs were cut out of the relatively easy-to-carve rock. They probably date from the Nabataean-Roman period.

In front of the best preserved rock house there is a cistern in the ground. Apparently, the researchers discovered painted stucco here earlier, but we could not find any of it when we visited in 2023. In the 1930s, Colonel P.C. Peake, called Peake Pasha, the commander of the Arab Legion in what was then Transjordan, had his picture taken in this house. He is the first European to visit the archaeological site extensively.

Walls protecting the defenders on the edge of the plateau above the wadi where the stairway begins. Studies of the mortar date the construction to the Ayyubid-Mameluk period (late 12th century to early 15th century).

At the top of this area protrude two worked rock outcrops or pedestals with flat borders and stairs, which are interpreted as bastions or tower bases.

Rain and wind created such rounded rocky knolls in many places of the rugged plateau, into which caves were often cut. The holes in the second photo may have served for fastening tent poles.

This "stairway to heaven" to nowhere is probably a place of worship. Twelve steps lead up to a small platform on the elongated rock, which is about 2 meters high.

A cave 4.40 m deep, 3.70 m wide and 3.10 m high was carved out of a small rocky outcrop. During the carving out, a kind of altar with a base of almost 2 x 2 m and 1.65 m high was left standing. This block is stepped at the front, and on the step there is a depression with elevations on both sides, which has been interpreted as a seat with armrests and thus a throne. However, based on other details in the cave, as well as comparisons and contexts, researchers came to believe that it could be a sanctuary for the god Dushara from the Nabataean-Roman period.

Large dwelling cave with openings on the rear wall. Here, too, holes can be seen on the right above the entrance, probably for roof beams or tent poles.

Caves carved out of rocky outcrops.

View over the southwestern edge of the summit plateau. The angled staircase belongs to a larger rock house complex with two pear-shaped cisterns about 3.5 to 4 m deep, whose inner walls are plastered. The various elevated platforms are connected by steps.

Details of the complex with angled staircase.
© Photo: Suhaib Al Qrara'h

See also:
The plundering of Sela in 311 B.C. ►

© Text and photos: Universes in Universe.

Sources, in particular:
Es-Sela - 2500 Jahre Fliehburg und Bergfestung in Edom, Südjordanien
Manfred Lindner, Ulrich Hübner und Elisabeth Gunsam. In: Das Altertum, 2001, Vol. 46, S. 243-278
New Discoveries at Sela, the Mountain Stronghold of Edom
By Rocío Da Riva. Asor, March 2019, Vol. 7, No. 3