Were the Women of Petra More Important Than Men?

The Nabataeans worshipped powerful female deities and built lavish shrines in their honor. Could this religious order be a clue into the elevated status of women in Petra?

From: SACRED SITES: Petra

[almami]

Not only the Nabateans but all Arabs worshipped Al-Uzza, Al-Lat and Manat
Actually the original idols of the three deities were kept in Makkah alongside with other 357 original idols of all the deities of all the Arabic tribes
However these 3 deities had an important status because out all the deities there it was them +Hubal who were kept inside of the Kaaba

[clevoloki]

How is it “astonishing” that women may have been in control of the region/area at some point during history? The choice of words says a great deal about our own modern culture.

[northafrica]

Not just in petra but in all the arabia ... Maviya were queen abd she leads all the arabs ... Semsi was the queen of all arabs with no king ...

[Amphitera]

it's very commonplace that cultures which started out matriarchal and with women in all powerful positions were turned into misogynistic societies where women had little to zero rights. At the same time, female deities were replaced with male ones. Thus, the power shift was not only societal, but "justified" from a religious angle.
Note how all big religions left today usually have large parts of their doctrine devoted entirely to the denigration of women.
Of course, there were also some cultures where both sexes were pretty much completely equal (Ancient Egypt, for example).
There will never be any equality again though as long as the noxious abrahamitic nonsense religions aren't abolished.

[annalisasteinnes]

Maybe for the next video on women's roles in society, Smithsonian could use a female narrator who talks normally, not like the narrator of some unsolved crime show.

[Mmefatoom]

1:25 is the funniest thing EVER!!!! really???? you couldn't find a more realistic costume??? a cheap bellydancing hipscarf for a head covering? HAHAHHA

[romanliru]

Those Godesses were inside the Ka'bah in Mecca before Islam. They were deities worshipped by the Arab tribes of Quraysh until the conquest “of Mecca by Muslims led by Muhammad in December 629 or January 630 AD (Julian), 10–20 Ramadan, 8 AH. The conquest marked the end of the wars between the followers of Muhammad and the Quraysh tribe.” [according to Wikipedia]. There is a scene illustrating well that transition in faith in the movie “The Message” 1976.

[howlerythenight]

Oh how has times changed so dramatically.

[ozdigg]

As a depiction of a matriarchal culture the Smithsonian Institute have failed miserably: The matriarchs are missing. All the women are 20 years old: It smacks of a schoolboy fantasy for group sex (with his big sisters) by torchlight. It's childish in the extreme and of such amateurish quality and arrangement, I despair. The male narrator makes it seem like a commercial for laundry detergent. Whether or not the "power and status" of women was or is recognized by men has no relevance. The power and status of women is timeless and all encompassing.

[MDALAMIN-gxmk]

Archeologist believes that doesn’t mean that they are correct

[vdl]

Societies can be Patriarch even if they worshiped godesses, this is a very redicilous conclusion by you

[Simranchauhan]

Similar to the goddesses worshipped till date in India!

[katrobinson]

Haven't watched the video yet. I know nothing about Petra.
But the answer is yes.

[anthonyfox]

I think it's interesting how alot of these societies in the ancient middle East thought of women in high regard or at least they typically treated them as equals or almost equals and then Islam came in and the middle East and North Africa became completely mysoginistic obviously it was Islam and not the culture and this proves that also look at the sabean kingdom also known as Sheba now believed to be in southern Arabia it was ruled by a queen something that would never happen in that part of the world now

[borkbork]

I am pretty sure we have learned from now these temples were super ornate. I doubt the preistesses we're doing their rituals on a cave like room with dirt floor.

[sunnywakefield]

THIS IS ME HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE THE BEGINING OF TIME !!!!

[jamiefoyers]

Was watching Bettany Hughes show last night and I didn't know much about the Nabataeans and their culture. Lion connection again I see like Egyptian teachings taught...there's a cat theme running through some of these cultures.

[Supersonic_saurapod]

Yo when he said cult and so on the subtitles said

“The cult of a loser”

It really got 🤣

[REHANKHAN-enzn]

We should accept these ancient religions as the predecessors of our modern beliefs.

[sunnywakefield]

YOU WILL STOP ALL ANIMAL CRUELITY ON THIS PLANET