3.9. Biblical Sites in Jordan
With the closing of the
Second Millennium, Jordan is an ideal place for Christians from all corners
of the globe to visit and relive the stories of the Bible.
In this small Kingdom there are innumerable biblical associations ranging
from the age of Abraham and Moses, through the time of Jesus' ministry, and
into the early Christian era which started spreading to Jordan since the time
of the Apostles.
Sites are being continually discovered which enhance knowledge of these times,
such as the recent finding of the oldest known Christian church at Aqaba and
the placing of the baptism of Jesus Christ by John at Bethabar on the east
bank of the Jordan River.
The most important biblical sites will be described in the following.
3.9.1.The Biblical Sites from North to South
A journey from north to south of the country would cover approximately 41kilometers and would offer the traveller the opportunity of visiting numberous interesting and intriguing locations, mostly with specific associations with Bible stories.
Gadara: The farthest point of interest in the north is the country of Gadara, known as Umm Qais, and formerly one of the flourishing cities of the Greek Dekapolis. Jesus, while visiting this town, healed the two madmen, and the unclean spirits fled from them and entered a herd of swine, which then drowned in the nearby Sea of Galilee.
Anjara: At Anjara you can visit an important shrine that consists of a large church hall especially built to accommodate pilgrims who come to venerate a life-size wooden statue of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. The statue is located within a newly built dry stone "grotto". The grotto symbolises the belief that Jesus and his disciples, including his mother Mary and other women, passed through Anjara once and rested in a cave during a journey between Jerusalem and Galilee.
Pella: A short distance south of Umm Qais, in the Jordan Valley is another important town of the Dekapolis called Pella, now known as Tabaqat Fahel. It was one of the strategic trading cities of the time and then became an important sought as a refuge by Christians fleeing the Holy City just before it is 70 AD anticipated destruction, as prophesied by Jesus in Mathew 24. They fled the city with their bishop Simon and camped in and around Pella.
Bethany: Further
south and 2 kilometres east of the Jordan River, John the Baptist´s
settlement "Bethany beyond the Jordan" where he lived, preached
and baptised has been discovered. Here, modern archaeologists located the
ruins of Byzantine monastery with a church built in the time of the Emperor
Anastasius. This is believed to be the ruins of a church commemorating John
the Baptist and is being excavated and renovated.
According to the biblical text in John's Gospel, John the Baptist announced
the coming of Jesus, and then baptised Him in the waters of the Jordan. The
New Testament, in Mark (9:9-11), describes how, as Jesus emerged from the
water He immediately saw the Heavens open, the Spirit descending on Him like
a dove, and a voice coming from heaven saying, "You are my beloved son.
With you I am well pleased".
Machaerus: John
the Baptist started his mission in the land of modern Jordan, and also ended
his life there.
He was arrested by Herod Antipas, imprisoned in the fortress at Machaerus
(modern Mukawir) 65 kilometres south west of Amman.
The castle is known biblically as the palace in which Salome, as instructed
by her mother, danced for King Herod in exchange for the head of John the
Baptist on a platter. (Mark 6:21-29).
Madaba: Twenty
kilometres north east of Machaerus lies Madaba, once Medaba, a Moab town which
developed into a Byzantine capital.
It was at Medaba that Arab tribes such as the Tanoukh and Soleih became Christians.
They provided the great mosaic artists like Salamos who created the famous
map of Palestine around 570 AD. Much of the map still exists in the Saint
George Greek Orthodox Church in Madaba and includes about 150 biblical sites
known in Byzantine times on both banks of the River Jordan. It originally
measured a staggering 25 by 5 meters and was made of more than two million
mosaic stones. The map principally relates the story of salvation as narrated
in the Bible. It is centred in Jerusalem with the Holy Sepulchre as its main
Building. It was intended as a pilgrim map rather than as a precise geographical
one.
Mount Nebo: A nine
kilometre trip west of Madaba brings you to Mount Nebo, known also as Siyagha,
the site of Moses' view of the Holy Land, which he never entered. It is here
that the Book of Deuteronomy (34:2-6) comes alive:" Then Moses went up
from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Gilead as far as Dan.
All Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manssah, all the land of Judah as
far as the Western Sea". In these verses Moses is told "I have caused
you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there".
The same spectacular view can be enjoyed by any visitor or Christian pilgrim
who visits Siyagha. On a clear day, one can recognise the spires of Jerusalem.
Nearby, to the east of this vantage point with its breathtaking view, is the
church built to commemorate Moses. It has seen several stages of construction
going back to the 4th century AD. You can explore wonderful mosaics, made
by local Christians artists, that date back to different periods in the 6th
century. The mosaics have inscriptions recording the dates of completion and
the names of the craftsmen who created them together with the names of the
bishops of Madaba.
Franciscan monks have carried out excavation and restorations on this site,
at intervals, since 1933. A large number of mosaics have been renovated and
the church itself looks suitably graceful and peaceful.
Although, according to the book of Deuteronomy, Moses died in the land of
Moab, the Bible points out that, "no one knows his grave to this day".
Yet a slightly raised platform built in honour of Moses stands at one end
of the church and has been claimed by some to be the place where he was buried
by angels.
Outside the church a metal sculpture of a bronze snake on a cross represents
the Bible verses (John 3:14-15) shown under it:" Just as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the desert, so must the son of Man be lifted up, in order
that every one who believes in Him may not perish but has eternal life".
The site of Mount Nebo marks the last stage of Moses' journey from Egypt with
the Israelites, using the Kings' Highway, and passing by Wadi Musa (Petra)
where he struck the rock and natural springs gushed out. Mount Nebo is another
place where Moses created springs for his people in the same way.
The Kings´ Highway: The Kings´ Highway, the world´s oldest continuously used communication route, was first mentioned in Genesis 14 and 20. Moses´ request to the king of Edom to "travel along the Kings´ Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory" was turned down, but visitors today are welcome to make the journey along the scenic road as it winds, dips, twists and rambles through the heart of Jordan from Ammon to Moab to Edom, or today from Amman via Mt. Nebo to Petra!
Wadi Musa: The
Valley of Moses, is the modern name given to the Village near the archaeological
site of Petra. The Bible reports that Moses and the Israelites passed by the
Edomite Kingdom to the east because the Edomite king did not allow them to
pass through his kingdom on the Kings' Highway. Here also flows the natural
spring, mentioned above, believed to go back to Moses.
During the 4th century, the canyon was inhabited by the Arab Nabateans and
was called Sella, meaning "the Rock". It was mentioned in the Bible
as Sella Edom, which means "the red rock".
Nearby is the Aron´s Tomb. Aron, the brother of Moses and Miriam, died
in the land of Jordan and was buried at Mount Hor, now known as Jabal Haroon.
(Exodus 4:14, 7:1, Micha 6:4).
Sodom and Gomorra,
today Bab ed-Dra´ and Numeira, lies in Wadi Araba between the Dead Sea
and Aqaba.
Arriving there from Egypt, Abraham and Lot separated their herds and people
and went their own ways (Genesis 13:1-13). After Lot´s wife disobeyed
God´s order, looked back at burning Sodom, and was turned into a pillar
of salt, Lot and his daughters survived and reportedly lived for many years
in a nearby cave (Genesis 19). In the 7th Century AD, a Byzantine church and
monastery dedicated to Saint Lot were built over the cave there. The complex
has been excavated and can be easily visited.
Aqaba/Ayla: The
port of Aqaba lies on the southernmost tip of Jordan on the Red Sea. It was
a central point on the ancient trade route between Arabia and the Middle East.
Biblically known as Zinon Geber, its port was used by King Solomon (972-933
BC), who kept his vessels there.
Excavations in Aqaba or Ayla, its Islamic name, have revealed a Roman city
under the sand going back to the 1st century BC.
The most exciting of recent discoveries was made in the middle of the modern
town of Aqaba. Archaeologists believe they have uncovered the oldest church
on earth. The remains could prove to date from the late third century which
would make it the oldest known purpose built church. This mud-brick building
of 2 Meters by 16 meters, would be slightly more ancient than the Holy Sepulchre,
in Jerusalem.
Contents of the Guide Book
| 1. | Welcome to Jordan |
| 2.. | The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
| 2.1. | Geography, Climate and Borders |
| 2.2. | Entry and Departure Procedures |
| 2.3 | Population |
| 2.4. | Currency |
| 2.5. | History |
| 2.6. |
Government |
| 2.7. | Economy |
| 3. | Jordan, where the Adventure awaits you |
| 3.2 | Amman, the Dynamic Capital City |
| 3.2. | The
Kings´Highway (Madaba, Mt. Nebo, Mukawir, Wadi Mujib, Karak, Shobak) |
| 3.3. | Petra, the Spectacular Rose-Red City |
| 3.4. | The Cities of Decapolis (Pella, Gadara, Abila, Philadelphia, Gerasa, Umm el Jimal) |
| 3.5.. |
Following
the Footsteps of "Lawrence of Arabia"; |
| 3.6. | Aqaba, Jordan´s year-round Red Sea Resort |
| 3.7. | The Dead Sea and Termal Spas; The healing power of the Dead Sea; The Hot Springs of Zarqa Ma´in |
| 3.8. | Biblical Sites in Jordan |
| 3.8.1. | The
Biblical Sites from North to South; Gadara, Anjara, Pella, Bethany, Machaerus, Madaba, Mt. Nebo, the Kings´Highway, Wadi Musa, Sodom & Gomorra, Ayla |
| 3.9. | Nature Reserves in Jordan; Wadi Rum, Dana, Zubia, Azraq, Shaumari |
| 4. | The Tourist Facilities in Jordan |
| 4.1. | Transportation;
Flight Connections, Tourist Buses, Bus-, Train-, Ferry-Connections; Car Rental and Driving in Jordan |
| 4.2. | Communication |
| 4.3. | Sports; Aquatic Sports and Diving; Horseback Riding and Camel Trips; Ballooning; Glimbing and Hang-gliding |
| 4.4. | Culture and Entertainment; Museums and Galleries; Festivals; Other Entertainments |
| 4.5. | Restaurants |
| 4.6. | Shopping and Souvenirs |
| 4.7. | Tourist Guides |
| 4.8. | Accommodation; |
| 5. | Incentive Travel |
| 5.1. | Incentive Special Events |
| 6. | Helpful Facts about Jordan |
| 6.1. | Best Time to Travel and Safty |
| 6.2. | Tipping (Bakshish) |
| 6.3. | Holidays, Ramadan, Business Hours |
| 6.4. | Local Customs - How to Dress? |
| 6.5. | Electric Current, Water Supply |