Day 6 – Wednesday, March 13: Early Flight to Amman, Jordan, Bethany beyond the Jordan, Mt. Nebo, Machaerus, Petra

 

The day began early once again. With a wakeup at 3:30 a.m. and breakfast at 4 a.m., we walked directly from the hotel to the Cairo Airport for our flight to Amman, Jordan. Upon landing, we were greeted by Sammy, our Jordanian guide. The weather throughout the day was once again sunny, with perfect and cooler highs in the low 70s.

 

Bethany Beyond the Jordan

Leaving the airport, we bussed directly to the area of the Jordan River to the west and specifically to Bethany Beyond the Jordan. This area is known for where Elijah ascended into heaven in a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2), and where Jesus was baptized (John 1). We walked down a nice path all the way to the river. Jesus also came to this area of Perea on occasion, especially where John was baptizing (John 10).

 

Mt. Nebo

From here we ascended from the Plains of Moab to Mt. Nebo, part of the Pisgah Range. We read from Deuteronomy 31-34 and Joshua 1 about the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua. The visibility looking westward to the Dead Sea and Jericho was fairly good. This was Moses’ view before he died at 120 years of age. A Bronze Snake monument is erected here (Numbers 21, John 3). We also saw the newly renovated church here built upon the Byzantine Church from the 4-5th centuries AD. The mosaics were amazing to see!

 
“Stage two of our ‘granddaddy tour’ began early this morning with our flight to Jordan. We had a great first day here, visiting the Jordan River, Mt. Nebo, and Machaerus. More biblical connections with the land were made today.”
Machaerus Jordan Tour March 2024 John DeLancey

Machaerus

Our last stop of the day was Machaerus. This was a palace-fortress built by Herod (but previously built by the Hasmeans. When we arrived at Machaerus, we read from Matthew 14 (also recorded in Mark 6) about how John the Baptizer was beheaded here (Josephus tells us the location, Antiquities 18.5.2). Most everyone in the group climbed to the top of this palace-fortress built by Herod the Great. We saw the suggested throne area of the palace (where Herod Antipas received the head of the Baptizer) as well as a few ritual baths and columns. The view across the Dead Sea was really good, allowing us to see the area of Jerusalem on the distant horizon. Later, Machaerus fell to the Romans in 71 AD.

 

Petra

From Machaerus, we had a long drive to Petra. For the most part, we used the newly-paved Desert Highway before exiting on to the King’s Highway (Numbers 21-22). We arrived at our hotel for a late dinner. We rise really tomorrow for Petra, one of the 7 Wonders of the World!

 

Day 7 – Thursday, March 14: Petra, Wadi Rum, Captains Bedouin Village

Bethany Beyond the Jordan Jordan Tour March 2024 John DeLancey
Mt. Nebo Jordan Tour March 2024 John DeLancey
Machaerus Jordan Tour March 2024 John DeLancey
Jordan River Jordan Tour March 2024 John DeLancey
Mt. Nebo Jordan Tour March 2024 John DeLancey
Machaerus Jordan Tour March 2024 John DeLancey

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