[3] Habitation during the prehistoric era is attested to by numerous flint artifacts found in the area believed to be 80,000–90,000 years old and part of Mousterian culture.

Ostrich egg shells and onager bones shed light on the fauna of the time; some of these remains are approximately 200,000 years old.

They carved out closets, shelves, benches, stairs, and water systems, and decorated the walls of the caves with crosses and prayers.

[8][10] UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recognizes Avdat as a Heritage Site in part because of the uniqueness of the magnificent Byzantine Church.

The 120 kilometer-long riverbed begins at the northwestern tip of Makhtesh Ramon and heads north before veering sharply eastwards.

[10][16] Further north is Ein Avdat, a 15-meter high waterfall that flows into an 8-meter deep pool of water divided by a small artificial dam.

[15][18] According to statistics compiled by a weather station at Sde Boker, the summers are hot with almost no precipitation while the winters are cold with some rain.

[citation needed] En Avdat is home to mammals such as Nubian ibex,[23][24] fat sand rats,[11] golden jackals, red foxes, Arabian wolves, striped hyenas,[14] and bats such as Kuhl's pipistrelle.

[11][26][27] In the water live European green toads, Levantine freshwater crabs, and larvae of insects such as Culiseta mosquitoes and desert skimmer dragonflies.