Jordan / Israel Trip 2019: 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."