The road from which the Israelites promised not to depart if allowed to pass through Edomite territory and the Amorite realm of King Sihon. (Nu 20:17; 21:21, 22; De 2:26, 27) This road must have extended from the Gulf of ʽAqaba at least as far as the Jabbok, the apparent N boundary of Sihon’s territory, and many believe that it ran as far N as Damascus and generally corresponded to the paved Roman highway built by Emperor Trajan in the second century C.E. With the exceptions of needed adjustments for modern traffic, the present-day road called Tariq es-Sultan(i) closely follows the ancient Roman highway, portions of which still exist.

Apparently the northern portion of this road from Heshbon to Ashtaroth was called “the way of Bashan.”​—Nu 21:33; De 3:1.