Approximately one hour from Amman, the turns of the road can be sharp and a bit narrow. But the beauty is not lost in the drive. I saw a wine vineyard, sheep and their shepherd and a lot of merchants on the sides of the road selling their wares. This day we had a driver who took us on quite an adventure that I will never forget!
Mount Nebo is mentioned in the Bible. It was from here that Moses saw the Promised Land just before he died (Deuteronomy 34: 1-8). As you look out from this mountain top you see just a spectacular view of the Jordan River and Dead Sea in the distance. There is a plaque that points to various important cities such as Hebron, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jericho, etc. So if you can imagine standing there and knowing the direction of these biblical historical cities and knowing this great man of God was looking out over this vast land. For 40 years he had been walking thru this desert and he does not go any farther because of the consequences of the actions of his people. It really is an amazing view.
In the early 4th century a sanctuary was built here over the remains of a more ancient construction. From there they would add and build in layers over a building, keeping some of the original architecture. In this same area is a beautiful church called Memorial Church of Moses, that was constructed starting in 1933. It has been transformed into a breathtaking masterpiece. You walk on clear glass over the mosaics depicting farmers, hunters and assortment of animals surrounded by geometric decoration. There is a Greek inscription dating back to 531AD. The artistry and skill for their time really is quite a showpiece. The little pieces of mosaics are no larger that a dime and the picture can be more than five feet in size.
On the outside of the church are some mosaics you can sit near. There are two of them and both run about 18 feet by 20 feet together. Just out in the environment the mosaics rest there and I wondered how many thousand of years and thousand of people have seen them. The artist that constructed them, did they know the treasures they were completing? Yes, there are a few stones missing but you still feel you have stumbled onto a unbelievable gift.
In March of 2000, Pope John Paul II visited Mt. Nebo. He planted an olive tree to “symbolize peace in honor of the people who now live in these lands”. We saw the tree, as well as other olive trees that had their fruit on them. A very peaceful area is where the trees are planted next to the church.
In case you are wondering, Moses died in the land of Moab. According to Christian tradition, Moses would have been buried on the mountain, but that burial site was not specified in the the Bible (Deuteronomy 34: 5-6)
Looking forward to you touring Madaba with me next time. Probably one of my favorite sites to talk about. Spoiler alert- cave restaurant we ate at was not only filled with some history but the food was marvelous!
#Jordantravel #Amman #Mt. Nebo #travel#history#MrahSalameh
From Jordan to Jordan 