 Oases in the largely desert region lived in by the Qedarites - such as Dedan , Tayma , and Dumah - played an important role as sites of settlement , trade , and watering @-@ places . Dumah , a remote desert city to the west , known later as Dumat Al @-@ Jandal and today as al @-@ Jawf , was the most important of these , sitting as it did between the empires of Babylonia and Assyria . Serving as the base for Qedarite religious ceremonies , Dumah 's strategic position on the north @-@ south trade route in the area meant that relations with its inhabitants were sought after by both empires , though Dumah and the Qedarites were closer in both geographical and political terms to Babylonia . Those coming from the south and wishing to access Mesopotamia were obliged to pass through Dumah , which also lay on an alternate route to the northwest , leading to the city of Damascus , and from there , on to Assyria and Anatolia . 
 Oases in the largely desert region lived in by the Qedarites - such as Dedan , Tayma , and Dumah - played an important role as sites of settlement , trade , and watering @-@ places . Dumah , a remote desert city to the west , known later as Dumat Al @-@ Jandal and today as al @-@ Jawf , was the most important of these , sitting as it did between the empires of Babylonia and Assyria . Serving as the base for Qedarite religious ceremonies , Dumah <a href='null_genetive' title='1'><mark>'s</mark></a>strategic position on the north @-@ south trade route in the area meant that relations with its inhabitants <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> sought after by both empires , though Dumah and the Qedarites <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> closer in both geographical and political terms to Babylonia . Those coming from the south and wishing to access Mesopotamia <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> obliged to pass through Dumah , which also lay on an alternate route to the northwest , leading to the city of Damascus , and from there , on to Assyria and Anatolia . 
Oases in da largely desert region lived in by the Qedarites - such as Dedan , Tayma , and Dumah - played an important role as sites of settlement , trade , and watering @-@ places . Dumah , a remote desert city to tdawest , known later as Dumat Al @-@ Jandal and todayy as al @-@ Jawf , was the most important of these , layin as it did between the empires of Babylonia and Assyria . Serving as the base for Qedarite religious ceremonies , Dumah  strategic position on the north @-@ south trade route in thdarea meant that relations with its inhabitants was sought after by both empires , though Dumah and thedadarites was closer in both geographical and political terms to Babylonia . Those coming from the south and wishin to access Mesopotamia was obliged to pass thru Dumah , which also lay on an alternate route to the dathwest , leading to the cda of Damascus , and from there , on to Assyria and Anatolia .