Day 7 – Saturday, March 25: Mt. Nebo, Petra
Today was another great day here in Jordan. We would drive to Mt. Nebo for our first stop before the longer drive to Petra. This morning we woke up to a few showers in the air, but they tapered off after about 10 minutes. The rest of the day was a mix of sun and overcast skies, with temps in the 60s.
Mt. Nebo
Following breakfast at 6:30, we loaded the buses at 7:15 and left for Mt. Nebo (about seven miles to the west of Medeba) at 7:30. Because the site of the church was still not open this early, we enjoyed the view of the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley, and the area of Jericho from another hill top. We read from portions of Deuteronomy 31-34 as well as Joshua 1. Moses died and was buried somewhere on Mt. Nebo following 120 years of life. The words he share with Joshua would, in turn, be shared by Joshua to the Israelites before the crossed the Jordan on dry ground (Joshua 3-4).
Petra
The drive from Mt. Nebo to Petra took us around Medeba and down the Desert Highway. We stopped once along the way before arriving to Wadi Musa. We dropped off our luggage and got our rooms keys before heading to the visitor center of Petra. The rest of the afternoon was visiting this incredible ancient city, one of the 7 Wonders of the World.
This ancient Nabatean city was built within the Seir Mountains, the land of the Edomites (Deuteronomy 2, 33; Ezekiel 35). We all thoroughly enjoyed the spectacular scenery and tombs/ruins of this red-rose ancient city. Once we entered the site, we all walked through the Siq (canyon) which brought us to the first monument, “The Treasury” (“Al-Khazneh”). This well-preserved monumental tomb appeared in the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” It was the tomb of the Nabatean King named Aretas III (Paul mentions his son, Aretas IV in 2 Cor. 11:32). His daughter (or granddaughter – depending on dating) was the former wife of Herod Antipas, see Matthew 14).
“Today was an incredible day! We began with a view into Israel from Mt. Nebo. We then drove to Petra for an afternoon of amazing and unique beauty. This red-rose city of the Nabateans is one of the ‘7 Wonders of the World’ and visited by millions each year.”
From the Treasury we now began our walk into the city. Besides passing by many of the Nabatean tombs, we walked by a 3,000-seat theater carved into the sandstone, one of the largest theaters in Jordan. From here, many in the group walked to the Monastery Tomb at the far west side of Petra, while others explored on their own (e.g. the Royal Tombs). The Aravah and Negev of Israel could be seen in the haze to the west from the area of the Monastery. A number in the group also hiked to the High Place far above the site.
We all made it back to the hotel on our own at various times for dinner (the High Place hikers making it back at dusk). It was an incredible day here at Petra!
Day 8 – Sunday, March 26: Return Into Israel, Timnah, Dead Sea
