Day 6 – Wednesday, November 12: Bethany Beyond the Jordan, Mt. Nebo, Madaba (Medeba), Machaerus, Petra
We enjoyed our first full day here in Jordan. Following a good but short night’s sleep, we enjoyed a modest breakfast together before checking out. The weather was perfect, with lows in the 50s and highs around 70. The air was cooler and cleaner here in Jordan than Egypt. We read from Numbers 22-24 as we left the hotel at 8 a.m.
Bethany Beyond the Jordan
Leaving the hotel at 8 a.m., we descended down to the Jordan Valley to a location called 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 walked together outside the traditional location (and Greek Orthodox Church) to a nice overlook. 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 only fair. However we could still see Jericho on the west side of the valley and the outline of the Dead Sea. This was Moses’ view before he died at 120 years of age.
Madaba/Medeba
Next, we added an extra stop to the program by visiting the St. George Church in Madaba/Medeba. Here, the amazing 6th century A.D. map of the region is preserved. It offers us specific detail about the area of the “Holyland,” including the city of Jerusalem. Among other things, the “Cardo” and the Holy Sepulcher Church (from the 4th century) is highlighted. On the way back to the Visitor Center, we stopped by Sam’s family store where we met his wife.
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“Today was our first full day in Jordan. We visited Bethany Beyond the Jordan and saw the possible area where Jesus was baptized (John 1). We also visit Mt. Nebo (where Moses viewed the Promised Land) and Machaerus (where John the Baptizer was beheaded). The biblical connections keep on coming!”
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 recalled the story from Matthew 14 (also recorded in Mark 6) about how John the Baptizer was beheaded here. Josephus tells us it happened here (Antiquities 18.5.2). About two-thirds in the group climbed to the top of this palace-fortress built by Herod the Great. With the hazy skies, we could barely see the Dead Sea from here. However, 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. 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 start early tomorrow morning (6:50 a.m.) for the ancient site of Petra, one of the 7 Wonders of the World!
Day 7 – Thursday, November 13: Petra, Wadi Rum, Captains Bedouin Village
