BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Exploring the “Grand Canyon” of Israel

Bible and archaeology news

In the heart of Israel’s Negev desert, about 50 miles south of Beersheba, sits Makhtesh Ramon, one of the largest craters on earth. The natural wonder, which measures more than 25 miles long, 5 miles wide and plunges as deep as 1,300 feet, has been called the “Grand Canyon” of Israel. Geologists believe the crater formed not from an asteroid collision, but from the gradual erosion caused by a single waterway flowing through the central Negev mountains. In antiquity, the Negev, including Makhtesh Ramon, was remembered as the place where the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Later, Makhtesh Ramon became an important trade route for the Nabateans of Petra, who conveyed valuable spices and resins through the canyon en route to the ports cities of the Mediterranean.

In the heart of Israel’s Negev desert, about 50 miles south of Beersheba, sits Makhtesh Ramon, one of the largest craters on earth.