The February 10 Noontime Series lecture at Calvin College will be on the ancient city of Petra.

In an illustrated talk titled "Petra: A Rose Red City Half as Old as Time," local archaeologist and teacher Neal Bierling will demonstrate that both the ancient city of Petra and the people who built it, the Nabataeans, were important players on the Biblical-historical scene.

The free, public program will be held noon to 1 pm in the Chapel Undercroft at Calvin and will be part of the college's popular Noontime Series, sponsored by the .

It is also a piece of the educational series supporting , a comprehensive exhibition of Nabataean artifacts and culture that will visit Calvin from April 4 through August 15, 2005.

The exhibition is the first major cultural collaboration between Jordan and the United States. In his upcoming talk Bierling will talk about cultural collaborations of an older variety - the ones practiced 2,000 years ago by the Nabataeans.

Drawing on references from the Bible and the ancient historian Josephus, Bierling's talk will spotlight the events and the historical "celebrities" - including Cleopatra, Mark Anthony, and both biblical Herods - who interacted with Nabataean culture.

The historical record of the Nabataeans, he maintains, remains the great untold story of history.

"It was always there," he says, "but it was lost to everybody's imagination."

Originating as a nomadic culture, the Nabataeans eventually settled down in what is now present-day Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia and became a powerful presence in the area as a result of their control of the lucrative southern Arabian incense trade.

From as early as the second century BC through the second century AD, the Nabataeans transacted their business and mingled with historical events from Petra, the city they sculpted from the red sandstone cliffs of the southwestern Transjordan which eventually became an essential stopping place on most caravan routes.

But the story of Petra goes back further says Bierling.

In his February 10 talk at Calvin he will begin with its Biblical origins, including the Edomites (the descendants of the Biblical Esau), and work his way to the Byzantine period in Petra, an era that only recently came to light. Bierling served on the team that excavated the Blue Chapel at Petra under the direction of archaeologist Patricia Bikai.

For his part Bierling is thrilled to finally tell the story of a city and a culture where so much history converges.

"Teachers teach ancient Greece," he says. "Teachers teach ancient Rome. And teachers teach ancient Egypt. These sites all come together at ancient Petra."

Organized by the American Museum of Natural History and the Cincinnati Art Museum, and presented under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, Petra is the first major cultural collaboration between Jordan and the United States. Air transportation generously provided by Royal Jordanian.

Tickets are on sale now for the exhibition by calling (616) 526-7800 or 1-800-PETRA05. Individual tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens (ages 65 and older), $10 for college students with ID and $8 for children (ages 5-17). Group tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens (ages 65 and older), $8 college students with ID and $5 for children (ages 5-17).