The Dux, the Limes, and the Limitanei in the Settlements of the Northwestern Negev: An Archaeological–Historical Perspective

Abstract This article examines the role of the dux , the limes , and the limitanei in the development and prosperity of the settlements of the northwestern Negev during the Late Roman and Byzantine periods. Archaeological and historical evidence indicates that from the reign of Diocletian onward the region experienced an unprecedented wave of agricultural expansion and settlement growth, expressed in extensive runoff agricultural systems, road networks, and dense rural hinterlands. The paper argues that this prosperity was not solely the result of environmental adaptation or economic initiative, but was closely tied to imperial military organization and frontier policy. Administrative reforms created a separation between civil and military authority and placed the frontier under the command of the dux , while the deployment of limitanei established a permanent military presence integrated within civilian settlements. Textual sources, together with the archaeological record from sites such as Beʾer Shevaʿ, Haluza, ʿAvdat, Shivta, Reḥovot-in-the-Negev, Saʿadon, Meẓad Yeruḥam, and Mamshit, reveal a pattern of semi-military communities in which soldiers owned land, participated in agriculture, and provided local security. Fortresses, towers, fortified farmsteads, and administrative complexes formed a defensive and observational network that protected routes, agricultural systems, and population centers. The integration of military personnel into the rural economy reduced the financial burden of frontier defense while stabilizing the region.