Mt. Nebo, Jordan (Pisgah)

Feb. 18a, 2019
From Petra, we left for Mt. Nebo.

"Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 

"Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.”

"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 a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day. Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished. And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. So the days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended."

- Deut. 34:1-8

There is a church built on top of the mountain.

Around the back of it, is a memorial of the caduceus. 

Today, this is a medical symbol of healing. So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.  - Numbers 21:9 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.… - John 3:14 & 15

Some Facts about Mount Nebo

• This is actually the location where Moses first saw the Promised Land.
• The top of Mount Nebo is called "Pisgah" which means "the high summit".
• "Nebo" comes from the word "nevi", which means "prophet."
• NOTE: The Hebrew Bible is divided into three sections: The Law, the Prophets and the Writings. (Heb. Toran, Neviim and Kethuvim)

On the Road to Emmaus, Jesus spoke with two disciples.

He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

-  Luke 24:44

The church on at the summit (Pisgah) is a memorial to Moses:

As I was visiting this site, I remember the ones of one of my favorite songs: Sweet Hour of Prayer.

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

That calls me from a world of care,

And bids me at my Father’s throne

Make all my wants and wishes known.

In seasons of distress and grief,

My soul has often found relief,

And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,

By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

Thy wings shall my petition bear

To Him whose truth and faithfulness

Engage the waiting soul to bless.

And since He bids me seek His face,

Believe His Word and trust His grace,

I’ll cast on Him my every care,

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

May I thy consolation share,

Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,

I view my home and take my flight.

In my immortal flesh I'll rise

To seize the everlasting prize,

And shout, while passing through the air,

“Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!”

- Adventist Hymnal, 478

And here's a random, photogenic cat. :)

This is the Abu Badd. It's a stone that would seal a tomb.

Next Stop: Jerash, one of the cities of the Decapolis.

Petra, Jordan (Biblical Edom)

Feb. 18, 2019
Petra was our first stop in our educational tour of Israel and Jordan. If this site looks familiar, it's because it was featured in a few movies, notably: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Transformers 2 and The Mummy. While many may recognize it from those movies, it was in fact founded by Esau, the brother of Jacob.

Kelly and I in front of the Treasury

Some History on the Names of Petra:

• In Greek, "Petra" is actually the feminine term for "rock". "Peter" is masculine version
• In Aramaic, this place is called Sellah.
• Pertinent readers of the Bible (or those with knowledge of the Psalms_ will notice that this is similar to selah, which asks singers to "pause and take a break". Essentially, this means "rest". Practically, Petra was a place to pause and rest for travelers. 

A few snapshots on the way into Petra.

• To those in the area, this place is known as Wadi Musa (or the Valley of Moses)

• In the journey of the Exodus, Moses was looking for a pathway through to the Promised Land. Edom, south-west of the Dead Sea, was located in the middle of the desert, and Petra was a shaded valley through which those who knew the ways of desert, could be protected from the harsh rays of the sun. That's why...
• To the Western World, this place is known as the Lost City, as it was known only to the Bedouins.

The people of Petra built dams to catch rain water. This is the remains of one of them.

The entrance to Wadi Musa (the Valley of Moses)

The Nabateans (originally Arabs), originally settled in Petra for 600-700 years. It was a strategic desert location that serviced many camel caravans that passed through the area.

These trenches carved into the rock walls, helped channel water into Petra.

       

At places, the passageway was very wide. Many horse-drawn carts could come through.

Just a shot of Kelly :)

The entrance before the Treasury at Petra

The Treasury at Petra

• People initially thought that the vase at the top had gold, but it didn't.
• Looking at the architecture, our guide (Eman) pointed out the following:
• Castor and Pollux, riding horses, taking bad spirits down to hell
• Eagles, taking the good spirits up to heaven
• Isis is the center statue

Did You Know?
King Herod's first wife was from Petra. His second wife was Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. Herodias' daughter was Salome, who danced before Herod, and who later asked the head of John the Baptist. See Matthew 14:3-10

A few years ago, archeologists surmised that there might be another layer beneath the actual Treasury. They started digging, and this is what they found.

Camel Rides

Some people were purchasing pictures on camels for $5 USD to pose in front of the Treasury and then dismount. One guy came up to me and offered to take us as far as the theater of Petra and even to the main area. 

Me: "How much?"

Camel Guy: "$70 each."

Me: "No way. That's far too much!" I turned to walk away.

Camel Guy (calling after me): "$50 American Dollars each."

Me: "No, that's too much for me."

Camel Guy (negotiating): "Look, I'll take you down to the center of Petra and back on camels."

Me: "How long would that be?"

Camel Guy: "25 minutes."

Me (pondering): "Hmm... I don't know if I can do that."

Camel Guy: "How much can you do it for?"

Me (considering): "Well... I didn't carry much cash with me. Can we do it for $15 each?"

Camel Guy: "No!! That's too little. I can do it for $25 each."

Me (considering): "Give me a second and let me ask my wife."

After a bit, the Camel Guy checked up on us. "So, can you do it for $25 each."

Me: "Sorry, I spoke with my wife and we can't." (I turned to walk away).

Camel Guy: "How much can you do it?"

Me: "All I have is $20 each. Would that work?"

Camel Guy: "Yeah, yeah. Come!" and then he brought the camels and we both had a 25 minute ride. 

This is the picture that Camel Guy took at the end of our trip.

Here's some of what we captured.

And here's some pictures on the way back to the tour bus:

Here's part of the lunch we had after:

Next Stop: Mount Nebo