Images Dar Qita Deiroune Ruwheia Sheik Sliman

The people who inhabited the villages, that we now call Dead Cities, were Syrian; their language was Aramaic, the most widely spoken language of the Middle-East in the first centuries after Christ (and also the language spoken by Jesus). Most of the inhabitants were peasants: farming was the main activity. There was also a little craft work and animal raising. The main agricultural products were olives, figs, wine, and oil. Craftsmen were few; there were no slaves, but, probably indentured labour.