Jordan figures prominently in the Old Testament and some of the Gospels. May I be struck down for not believing them! Mount Nebo is (allegedly) where Moses glimpsed the promised land and where, striking his staff on a rock, he is supposed to have brought forth a spring of fresh water. Yes, the views towards Israel are amazing (even through the heat haze) and below there is a narrow, green strip where a river winds through the valley. I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions.
On top of the hill is the Moses memorial church, which is actually several churches built one on top of the other. It was of course abandoned, then rediscovered in the 20th century. The mosaics are pretty impressive too.
The Sea of Galilee
Mosaic map of Jerusalem at Madaba
Another must-see is the mosaic map of biblical Jordan in the floor of the Byzantine era St George's Church in Madaba. It was discovered in 1884 by some builders who had no idea what they might find amid the rubble of their construction site. The mosaic is over 1500 years old and references all the ‘big ticket’ sites of the region. Greek inscriptions identify all the main locations. The scale shows some ‘artistic licence’ but whoever created it knew his geography. This part depicts the walled city of Jerusalem.
I loved the way the Dead Sea is identified by a fish swimming / floating upside down.
Also among the biblical sites is Mukawir, where legend has it Salome danced for Herod and demanded the head of John the Baptist. There’s nothing there now except a few rocks. And finally, Lot’s Cave, which is a bit of a ‘blink-and-you’ve-missed-it’ place. Nevertheless, we climbed the steps and there it is: a tiny cave beneath an ancient church. They say the cave even contains an inscription mentioning Lot by name. Nothing about his wife, though.