Day 7 – Thursday, November 13: Petra, Wadi Rum, Captains Bedouin Village
What a remarkable day it was today! Following a good (and longer) night’s sleep here in Wadi Musa (Petra) and a great breakfast, we checked out of the hotel. This was followed by walking to the site of ancient Petra at 7:00 a.m. The weather was ideal, with full sun again! We enjoyed the cool morning temps (50s) and the warming temps throughout the day (around 70). We prayed and sang our “Oh, the Sun’s Coming Up” song as we walked to the entrance of the site.
Petra
Petra, this ancient Nabatean city was built within the Seir Mountains, the land of the Edomites (Deuteronomy 2, 33; Ezekiel 35) is one of there seven Wonders of the World. Because of the brand new Jordan government restrictions of the local Bedouin being able to sell things inside Petra (they literally bulldozed and dismantled the shops, combined with the very low tourism currently now, we essentially had the entire site to ourselves!
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).
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 to the west from the area of the Monastery. Seven in the group also hiked to the High Place (using the back trail) far above the site. We all made it back by 1:30 p.m. where we began our drive south to Wadi Rum.
“We had an incredible day! Petra and Wadi Rum were amazing! At Petra we walked and hiked, taking in the Nabatean history with every turn. At Wadi Rum we journeyed through the desert with jeeps. It was so much fun! Our night at Captain’s Bedouin Camp was unique too”
Day 7 – Thursday, November 13: Petra, Wadi Rum, Captains Bedouin Village
What a remarkable day it was today! Following a good (and longer) night’s sleep here in Wadi Musa (Petra) and a great breakfast, we checked out of the hotel. This was followed by walking to the site of ancient Petra at 7:00 a.m. The weather was ideal, with full sun again! We enjoyed the cool morning temps (50s) and the warming temps throughout the day (around 70). We prayed and sang our “Oh, the Sun’s Coming Up” song as we walked to the entrance of the site.
Petra
Petra, this ancient Nabatean city was built within the Seir Mountains, the land of the Edomites (Deuteronomy 2, 33; Ezekiel 35) is one of there seven Wonders of the World. Because of the brand new Jordan government restrictions of the local Bedouin being able to sell things inside Petra (they literally bulldozed and dismantled the shops, combined with the very low tourism currently now, we essentially had the entire site to ourselves!
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).
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 to the west from the area of the Monastery. Seven in the group also hiked to the High Place (using the back trail) far above the site. We all made it back by 1:30 p.m. where we began our drive south to Wadi Rum.
