Shivta
שבטה شبطا | |
Shivta's southern church | |
| Alternative name | possibly Shubitu (Nabataean), Sobota (ancient Greek), Subeita and Isbeita (Arabic). |
|---|---|
| Location | Southern District, Israel |
| Region | Negev |
| Coordinates | 30°53′N 34°38′E / 30.88°N 34.63°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Abandoned | 8th/9th century |
| Cultures | Nabataean, Byzantine |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1933-1934 |
| Condition | In ruins |
| Official name | Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev (Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta) |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii, v |
| Designated | 2005 (29th session) |
| Reference no. | 1107 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
Shivta (Hebrew: שבטה), originally Sobata (Greek: Σόβατα) or Subeita (Arabic: شبطا), is an ancient city in the Negev Desert of Israel located 43 kilometers southwest of Beersheba. Shivta was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2005, as part of the Incense Route and the Desert Cities of the Negev, together with Haluza/Elusa, Avdat and Mamshit/Mampsis.
The name Shivta is a modern Hebraization, given by the Negev Naming Committee in the early 1950s. The Greek name Sobata was mentioned in the Nessana papyri.