Travelogue: Jordan

Daily Report
Same same

Day 2: Mt. Nebo and the Dead Sea (continued)

Deuteronomy 32:48-52 "On that same day the LORD told Moses, 'Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people...Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.'"

This fall, just before Jacob and I got engaged, I began the Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) study, "Life of Moses." Though I wasn't able to finish the course, which just completed, because of our marriage and move, it was a great study and several friends as well as my mom have finished it. That made seeing Mount Nebo even more special. Standing on that mount, looking across the sea and imagining Moses standing there, speaking with God, seeing the fulfillment of a great prophecy and promise gave Jacob and me both a pause, a gracious few moments of wonder and amazement at the work of our God and a special appreciation for our spiritual heritage. While the rest of the world was comparatively asleep, these lands upon which we were walking were alive with the spirit of the Lord and hints of the future of a faith and a people.

Deuteronomy 34:1-5 "Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, to all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. Then the LORD said to him, 'This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.' And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said."

After Mt. Nebo, we tracked down the mountain and into the valley at the lowest point on the Earth: the Dead Sea. Our hotel overlooked the sea so we took a realaxing float in the salt-laden water and watched the sun set over the mountains of Israel. Night's fall complete, the lights of Jericho shone from a short distance of just a few kilometers and we plotted our course for the next day.

Day 3: Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan

Matthew 3:13-17 "Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?' Jesus replied, 'Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.' Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'"

Bethany proved to be an equally moving site with two main stops, the first at the intersection of an ancient spring and the Jordan River, where remains of ancient churches and archeological discoveries, as well as oral histories prove the place to be the spot where Jesus was baptized and faced West toward Jerusalem. The second was Elijah's Hill, where the prophet ascended in a whirlwind.

Interestingly, as with many historic sites, there had been considerable squabbles over the exact site of Jesus' baptism, but as volunteers were working to clear land mines after the peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinian territories in 1994, significant archeological evidence was unearthed that corroborated the oral traditions that had been kept alive.

2 Kings 2:11-12 "As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, 'My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!' And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart."

The rest of the trip was wonderful. First Petra: hard hikes at the ancient Nabtean cave city of Petra with its intricate facades and the spirit of Indiana Jones hanging over the imposing sandstone carvings while donkeys, camels, tourists and ambitious marketers mingle below. After that, we headed back up to Madaba, just outside of Amman for a little R&R in the city of Mosaics (and, interestingly, a city with an unusually large 1/3 Christian population). We also spent our last evening at the family home of a friend enjoying a traditional dinner with great food, lots of laughter and a great new connection.

Check out all the photos from our Jordan trip here!