"So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in the valley of the land of Moab opposite Beth Peor; But no one knows the place of his burial to this day." Duet. 34:5
We visited Mt. Nebo on Day 4 of our trip. We were blessed by another day of perfect weather. Mt. Nebo rises nearly 2600 feet above sea level. It is indeed no wonder that this is the place where God chose to take Moses to view the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob before He took His servant to heaven. It is hard to put into words what it felt like to stand on perhaps the very spot where Moses stood as he gazed across what is now known as the Jordan Valley. From here you can see the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem and a panoramic view of the Holy Land. It is a sight I will never forget.
One of the many mosaics on display. Looks like Greek to me! (Sorry,I couldn't help myself)
Another stunning view of the Jordan Valley
Brazen Serpent Monument by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni. This is a symbol of the bronze serpent taken by Moses into the desert and the cross our Saviour was crucified on. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up." John 3:14
In the second half of the 4th century a large monastery and basilica was built on the top of Mount Nebo. This sanctuary was constructed by the ancient Christians of the region of Madaba as a memorial church to honor Moses, the great Prophet and Lawgiver. It suffered earthquake damage a couple of times during the next centuries, but it underwent many expansions and continued to thrive into the sixth and perhaps the seventh century. It was finally abandoned in 1564 and remained mostly neglected until the Franciscan Fathers bought the site in the 1930's and began excavations. They uncovered a treasury of stunning Byzantine mosaics. Unfortunately, the building that houses the mosaics and the remaining structure of the basilica was under construction, so we were unable to see that part of the site.
An Unexpected Encounter
What a day!
When you are traveling, you never know what you may encounter right around the next corner which may be just as memorable as the historic site you just visited. That was what happened to us that day on Mount Nebo. We happened to be visiting Mount Nebo the very day a bus load of teenage girls arrived from the nearby coastal city of Aqaba. They didn't speak our language, but our guide, Maysoon, indicated to us that they wanted to talk to us. They had never met Western women before and were extremely curious about us. We both had our iPads on hand, so we shared with them pictures of home and family and of our school. They also wanted me to explain to them why this site was so important to Christians. I did my best to explain. I'm not sure how much was understood, but I told them what I knew and they were a very good audience. These girls surrounded us like we were celebrities. It was quite the experience. Then, of course, they all wanted to be in selfies and each wanted individual pictures of us with them. They were all beautiful young teenagers full of life and curiosity. If I were to draw a comparison of these girls with the girls from the West, I think the main difference would be their innocence. Most of these girls were what we call "covered." That means they were Muslim and wearing a hijab which is a scarf worn to cover their head and neck. Any female who chooses to wear a hijab, has chosen to be very modest and conservative in the way they live their lives as well as the way they dress. Some families allow their daughters to choose for themselves and others have the choice made for them. That being said, I'm assuming that these girls have yet to be greatly influenced by western culture through movies, youtube, music, and reality TV. Jordan is a poor country and so I doubt if they have much internet access other than at school. It was a delightful experience which I will tuck away in my memories for many years to come.
Who can resist a selfie! Beautiful smiles.
One last glimpse.
Counting the Days
As of May 22, 2015, I have exactly 28 days until I get home. I know, I know...counting the days will only serve to make them pass more slowly. This is a long held habit that I'm not quite ready to relinquish. I love the rush I get when I pull out my sharpie and slash a large "X" across the date on the calendar, each "X" bringing me one day closer to friends and family and the greatest country on earth. God bless America!
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