JordanMa’an‘Ayn AmmūnQurnat Bin Sa‘d30°17’31” N 35°27’27” E
April 11, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Second post for today.....
From Amman, we headed southwest. We passed some fairly good looking farm land. There are a lot of greenhouses that grow crops such as strawberries, eggplant and cauliflower. The rest of the land is basically semi-desert with lots of rocks and a few low scrub bushes and some patches of grass. We arrived in shortly in Madaba. The Madaba Mosaic Map is a map of the region dating from the 6th century and preserved in the floor of the Greek Orthodox Basilica of Saint George, sometimes called the "Church of the Map". With two million pieces of colored stone, the map depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns in Palestine and the Nile Delta. The mosaic contains the earliest extant representation of Byzantine Jerusalem, labeled the "Holy City." The map provides important details about its 6th-century landmarks, with the cardo, or central colonnaded street, and the church of the Holy Sepulchre clearly visible. This map is one key in developing scholarly knowledge about the physical layout of Jerusalem after its destruction and rebuilding in 70 AD.
On the road again, this time winding our way up and down narrow roads to Mukawir to see Machaerus which is a fortified hilltop palace located in Jordan 25 km (16 mi) southeast of the mouth of the Jordan river on the eastern side of the Dead Sea. According to Flavius Josephus, it is the location of the imprisonment and execution by beheading of John the Baptist. According to the chronology of the Bible (Mark 6:24; Matthew 14:8), this infamous execution took place in 32 AD shortly before the Passover, following an imprisonment of two years. The site also provides the setting for four additional New Testament characters: Herod the Great; his son, Tetrarch Herod Antipas; his second wife, Princess Herodias, and her daughter, Princess Salome.
Along the way today, we have checked out some pretty sketchy washrooms. "Be prepared!" is now my mantra when entering the facilities in Jordan.
We had tea/coffee, and hit the road again, this time heading to Umm Ar-Rasas. See next footprint for today.Read more
JordanMa’an‘Ayn AmmūnQurnat Bin Sa‘d30°17’31” N 35°27’27” E
April 11, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ 🌙 12 °C
Third post for today......
We arrived eventually at Umm Ar-Rasas. In 2004, the site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is valued by archaeologists for its extensive ruins dating to the Roman, Byzantine, and early Muslim periods. The most important discovery on the site was the mosaic floor of the Church of St Stephen. It was made in 785 (discovered after 1986). The perfectly preserved mosaic floor is the largest one in Jordan. On the central panel, hunting and fishing scenes are depicted, while another panel illustrates the most important cities of the region- 27 cities in the Holy Land, 9 cities on the East Bank of the Jordan, 8 on the West Bank and 10 Egyptian cities. The frame of the mosaic is especially decorative - it looks like a giant Turkish carpet. Another four churches were excavated nearby with traces of mosaic decoration. The colours in the mosaics are just as vibrant today as when they were made in the 8th century. We are going to be watching a mosaic-making demonstration later in the week.
We finally stopped in mid-afternoon for lunch. Ruby called in our order ahead of time so it was ready for us when we arrived. The late lunch is a result of Ruby's having to juggle the schedule because the Dead Sea Marathon is going to be closing roads later in the week.
After another couple of hours of driving, we arrived in the town of Petra. Our hotel is perched on the side of a cliff and comprises two separate buildings with the lobby located on the top level. To get to our rooms, we had to go down one set of elevators, then go down a long corridor to another set of elevators and then go down 8 floors. We had a nice buffet dinner and headed back to our rooms to recharge for tomorrow. To beat the crowds, we are going to be on the bus at 7:15 a.m. and at Petra by 7:30 a.m. This will be our second World Heritage Site of this tour.Read more
JordanBalqaSowaymaWādī al ‘Uz̧aymī31°46’0” N 35°34’40” E
April 12, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
First of two posts for today......
Today started with a 5:00 a.m. wakeup call that had been issued for all 14 members of our group, but that we had cancelled. We don't need a lot of time to get ready in the morning. We have an alarm clock and a cell phone that we set as a back up. (In Amman, we were supposed to get a wakeup call and didn’t.) We dozed until 5:45 a.m. and then hopped to it. We had breakfast and were on the bus (with our luggage since it was only a one-night stand in Petra) by 7:15 a.m. It was quite cool (about 10 deg. C) so we all had a couple of layers on for warmth.
We stopped just 5 minutes down the road to drink in the view of the mountains. I don’t think there is anything like this in Canada.
Our destination was Petra – one of four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Jordan. It is also one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. See info below about Wonders of the World. It is located in the heart of the Shara Mountains. It is not known precisely when Petra was built, but the city began to prosper as the capital of the Nabataean Empire from the 1st century BC that grew rich through trade in frankincense, myrrh and spices. Petra was later annexed to the Roman Empire and continued to thrive until a large earthquake in 363 AD destroyed much of the city. The earthquake, combined with changes in trade routes, eventually led to the downfall of the city and it was ultimately abandoned. By the middle of the 7th century, Petra appears to have been largely deserted and it was then lost to all except local Bedouin from the area.
Classic Seven Wonders of the World:
Colossus of Rhodes.
Great Pyramid of Giza.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Lighthouse of Alexandria.
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia.
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.
Seven New Wonders of the World:
Great Wall of China
Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro
Machu Picchu in Peru
Roman Colosseum
Taj Mahal in India
Petra in Jordan
In 1812, a Swiss explorer by the name of Johannes Burckhardt set out to rediscover Petra. He dressed up as an Arab and convinced his Bedouin guide to take him to the lost city. After this, Petra became increasingly known in the West as a fascinating and beautiful ancient city. It now attracts millions of visitors every year.
Petra is known as the rose-red city, a name it gets from the wonderful colour of the rock from which many of the city’s structures were carved. The Nabataeans buried their dead in intricate tombs that were cut out of the mountain sides and the city also had temples, a theatre, and following the Roman annexation and the later Byzantine influence, a colonnaded street and churches.
The people of Petra were masters of hydrological engineering. They were very skilled in using dams and tunnels and clay piping to control the water from flash floods and to store water in underground cisterns. There is a tunnel 88 metres in length that they cut by hand through rock for control purposes.
Visitors enter Petra via a narrow gorge called the Siq. It resulted from a natural splitting of the mountain and is 1.2 km long. The showpiece of Petra is the Treasury. It’s a magnificent façade. It is almost 40 metres high and has intricately carved Corinthian capitals, friezes and figures. On top of it is a funeral urn that supposedly conceals a pharaoh’s treasure.
There is a theatre carved into the side of the mountain. It could have accommodated 4000 spectators. This is the only theatre in the world carved into rock.
Petra is a huge site. Two ladies had been there before and had only been able to see about half of it. Eleven of the group opted to stay with Ruby and listen to her commentary. Five of us decided to go ahead of the main group and make a stab at getting to the farthest point – the Ad-Deir Monastery. We had to hot foot it to be able to get there and back by the time the bus had to leave to get all the way to our next hotel stop. Doug and Frances’ husband Ron buddied up while their wives set off to see the monastery.
The monastery, Ad-Deir, is one of the largest monuments in Petra. It was used as a meeting place for religious associations. The Monastery dates to the early 2nd century AD. It was later re-used as a Christian chapl and crosses were carved into the rear wall, which is how the structure got its name.
After the Treasury, which is where the rest of the group stopped and turned around, the path began to climb. There were lots of stairs with varying heights (some of them tough for our short legs). Sometimes, there were just worn rocks that we had to climb on. It was hot, tough sledding, but after a little less than two hours from when we began at the entrance, we reached the Monastery. Seeing it was a spectacular reward for our efforts. We took photos, had some water, declined to pay $1 USD to use the washrooms, and headed back down. We were back at the bus on time, hot, tired, sweaty and feeling very triumphant!
All around Petra, there are vendors hawking trinkets, jewellery, drinks, carpets, shawls and all kinds of other bits and pieces – yes, even at the top of the mountain at the Monastery. There are men offering donkey rides, horse-drawn carriage rides and even camel rides. The rampant commercialism takes away some of the mystique and wonder of Petra and it’s causing a lot of mess and litter, but in looking past it, visitors certainly get to enjoy a truly unique sight.
We made a quick stop at Wadi Mousa, a town located in the Ma'an Governorate in southern Jordan. It is the administrative center of the Petra Department and the nearest town to the archaeological site of Petra. Wadi Musa means "Valley of Moses" in Arabic. It is said that the prophet Moses passed through the valley and struck water from the rock for his followers at the site of Ain Musa ("Moses's water spring" or "Moses's Well"). The Nabateans built channels that carried water from this spring to the city of Petra. Wadi Musa was also nicknamed the "Guardian of Petra". The Tomb of Aaron, supposed burial site of the Biblical Aaron, the brother of Moses, is on nearby Mount Hor.
Moses' spring delivers a continual supply of cool, fresh water. I filled my water bottle, hoping that the water would have good restorative powers for my tired, aching feet.
We stopped for lunch just a little ways from Petra. The view over the valley made for a lovely setting. Soup, salad bar and nice sweets for just $10 USD per person. They use a lot of nice, fresh and tasty tomatoes, cucumbers, and red/green/yellow peppers in their salads and there is usually always a nice coleslaw. Doug and I have discovered the Jordanian version of chocolate pudding. It’s really good.
Ruby bought locally-grown bananas for us. They are smaller than the ones we know and are slightly sweeter.
Today, being Thursday, is the beginning of the weekend here. The traffic flowing out of Amman was wicked. According to Ruby, many people head to the city of Aqaba which is Jordan’s only beach/port city. Traffic going into the city was wicked also due to a bus breakdown in a construction zone. We watched with amusement as cars drove through a deep ditch and across the adjacent road being constructed to get to another route. Some drivers just kept driving on the road under construction. They couldn’t get very far as there were three pieces of heavy equipment just ahead parked across the road. An effective way of stopping foolish behaviour.
To help pass the time on our long drive back from Petra to the Dead Sea, Ruby described how engagements take place here in Jordan. The process relies heavily on Bedouin customs and involves the man's and the lady’s families getting together and discussing the possible union over Arabic coffee (a very thick, very bitter drink). Just a short while later, we passed a wedding party. Such a lovely coincidence.
We stopped at the Black Iris shop (nice washrooms!) that sells lovely Jordanian products and Dead Sea skin products. We all got to sample the skin scrub and to put on shea butter. They are lovely products but pricey. I’m sticking with Aveeno. The actual reason for the stop was to pick up Lynne’s suitcase. Her flight from Columbus, Ohio to Toronto got cancelled on Monday due to bad weather. She made it to Toronto on a later flight barely in time to make the flight to Cairo with the rest of the group, but alas, her luggage didn’t make it. With clothes lent by her fellow travellers, she made it through until today. Egypt Air and NET and Ruby had been working feverishly to get Lyne and her suitcase reunited without requiring her to go to the airport (far out of our way) to retrieve it. They finally found a convenient rendezvous point. Lynne is one now very, very happy traveller!!
On our way from Petra to the Dead Sea, we dropped below sea level. We finally got to our hotel (a Ramada hotel) beside the Dead Sea about 6:00 p.m. The bus apparently had lost reverse at our stop before the Black Iris, so the bus had to stop by the gate where Haroon could just make a big U-turn. We all just pitched in had pulled our luggage in ourselves. Doug and I showered and headed down for dinner. What a lovely dinner buffet! Score – more of that good chocolate pudding we had at lunch. We checked out the pool area – two pools and a swim-up bar.
Tomorrow being Friday (the equivalent of Saturday for us) is the running of the Dead Sea Marathon – it runs from Amman to the Dead Sea. Ruby has gone back to Amman to see her family for the evening. She and her husband have four children (ages 20, 16, 14 and 7). The roads won’t open until noon so we will have the morning to ourselves and hope to be on our way to see more sights by 1:00 p.m. This hotel has its own private beach on the Dead Sea so we will check it out during our free morning tomorrow. I experienced the Dead Sea on last year’s trip to the Holy Land. It will be interesting to see how Doug enjoys the sensation of floating in the water that has a 30% salt content.Read more
JordanBalqaSowaymaWādī al ‘Uz̧aymī31°46’0” N 35°34’40” E
April 12, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ 🌙 23 °C
Second post for today - pictures of the route to the top and the Monastery.
JordanBalqaSowaymaWādī al ‘Uz̧aymī31°46’0” N 35°34’40” E
April 13, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
How nice to not have an early departure today! We got up at our leisure and had breakfast. The hotel has a very nice breakfast buffet - both hot and cold items, including waffles that Doug tried. Everything is labelled in English. Doug and Frances and I decided to head down to the hotel's private beach on the Dead Sea. There is a little shuttle bus that runs twice per hour, but we could see that it would't be far, so we walked. It was a beautiful, warm morning - the high for today is forecast to be 30 deg. C. but that won't be until late this afternoon. The walk took less than 10 minutes.
Here's some Wikipedia info about the Dead Sea:
The Dead Sea is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and Palestine to the west. Its surface and shores are 430.5 metres (1,412 ft) below sea level, Earth's lowest elevation on land. The Dead Sea is 304 m (997 ft) deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. With a salinity of 342 g/kg, or 34.2%, (in 2011), it is 9.6 times as salty as the ocean and one of the world's saltiest bodies of water. This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which plants and animals cannot flourish, hence its name. The Dead Sea is 50 kilometres (31 mi) long and 15 kilometres (9 mi) wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River.
The Dead Sea has attracted visitors from around the Mediterranean basin for thousands of years. It was one of the world's first health resorts (for Herod the Great), and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from asphalt for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilisers. People also use the salt and the minerals from the Dead Sea to create cosmetics and herbal sachets.
The Dead Seawater has a density of 1.24 kg/litre, which makes swimming similar to floating.
The Dead Sea is receding at an alarming rate. Multiple canals and pipelines were proposed to reduce its recession, which had begun causing many problems. The Red Sea–Dead Sea Water Conveyance project, carried out by Jordan, will provide water to neighbouring countries, while the brine will be carried to the Dead Sea to help stabilise its levels. The first phase of the project is scheduled to begin in 2018 and be completed in 2021.
We had the beach to ourselves since it was just 8:30 a.m. There is a sign that says it's the lowest point on earth, but it's not quite right. At 398 metres below sea level, it's short by about 32 metres. The actual lowest point is on the Israeli side at the En Gedi Spa (had my picture taken there last year beside the official sign). The beach here is very tough to walk on - the sand is very coarse and with small, sharp rocks. The area under the water is very, very rocky and the walking is very tough. I made it past the rocks to the sandy bottom area. Doug stayed back and was the official photographer. The water is hypersalinated so you float very easily. The tough part is getting your feet back down - you have to pull your legs and feet up to your chest and then push them down. Swimming on your front is almost impossible because you keep turtling over onto your back. I paddled around for bit and Frances waded in to waist level. We both agreed that the beach that we went to on the Israeli side was much more enjoyable. It had a sandy shore and the ground under the water was the famous Black Sea mud which was soft on the feet - we smeared over ourselves to renew our skin. Although it was very busy and quite noisy, it was all-round, a more pleasant experience.
We passed several others from our group on their way down to the beach on our way back. Apparently they were treated to a visit by a herd of camels. Too funny.
I needed a long, hot shower after that - the water in the Dead Sea has an oily quality to it. I had time to do this writeup and then do some reading before our departure at 1:00 p.m. Ruby made it to the hotel in good time.Read more
JordanBalqaSowaymaWādī al ‘Uz̧aymī31°46’0” N 35°34’40” E
April 13, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ 🌙 27 °C
Second post for today.....
It's was a very warm afternoon - the high is expected to be in the mid-30's. Our first stop this afternoon was Bethany by the Jordan (Al-Maghtas).
We saw many families pulled over on the side of the road having picnics and enjoying the warm weather.
Bethany by the Jordan is the site of the Baptism of Jesus. (This is not the town of Bethany that is just east of Jerusalem.) The baptism of Jesus is described in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. John's gospel does not directly describe Jesus' baptism. Bethany by the Jordan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (UNESCO = United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist is one of the five major milestones in the gospel narrative of the life of Jesus, the others being the Transfiguration, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension. In Roman Catholicism, the baptism of Jesus is one of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary.
From the site www.baptismsite.com:
Jesus left Nazareth, until he reached Bethany beyond the Jordan and went to John for baptism. Jesus joined in the line of penitents asking for baptism, yet he was pure, free from all sin. He was the one who would say to the Jews, “Who among you can provide evidence that I have committed a sin.” John knew of Jesus from the revelation and inspiration of the Holy Spirit (John 1:32). John, however, objected to baptizing Jesus saying, “I am the one that needs you to baptize me!” But upon Jesus’ continued insistence, John acquiesced and baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. Therefore, the water of the Jordan River became holy and all the waters that flow along the baptism site were purified, reviving the souls of people at every place and time.
As Jesus was coming out of the water, he saw the heavens open up and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove. He heard a voice from above say, “You are my beloved son with whom I am well-pleased.” The baptism of Jesus is generally considered as the start of his ministry, shortly after the start of the ministry of John the Baptist.
Bethany by the Jordan features Roman and Byzantine remains including churches and chapels, a monastery, caves that have been used by hermits and pools in which baptisms were celebrated, testifying to the religious character of the place. The site is a Christian place of pilgrimage.
From the actual baptism site, we walked a short distance down to where the Jordan River now runs. Its course has been altered by erosion, earthquakes and mankind's interference. Marilyn and I were thrilled to see that we were directly opposite the site where we had renewed our baptismal vows with our Holy Land pilgrimage group last March. Israel is on the other side of the river, just a stone's throw away. There were groups there renewing their vows. There was a young father who was exhorting his two young sons to dunk in the water and to shout praises to God. Ruby says it's like home schooling, but it's home churching. We were able to stand in the water and reflect on the incredible blessing that had been bestowed on us to be able to visit such a holy place.Read more
JordanBalqaSowaymaWādī al ‘Uz̧aymī31°46’0” N 35°34’40” E
April 13, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ 🌙 26 °C
Third post for today.....
Today is Friday which is like Saturday for us back home. All along the side of the road, there were trucks parked selling vegetables. It was like a really long, narrow farmers' market. They had carrots, radishes, cauliflower, beets, turnips, tomatoes and fennel. Fennel looks somewhat like an onion but has a sweeter taste with almost a liquorice flavour. Ruby got some for us and passed them around. (Tried fennel at dinner tonight - it's good.) The vendors grow these vegetables in the fertile ground of the Jordan Valley. Note - there was cold pink turnip on the buffet last night. It's dyed using beet juice. It looks like candy. I didn't try it.
From Bethany by the Jordan, we drove about an hour up to Mount Nebo. We wound our way up to the top of the mountain through incredibly rugged and forbidding mountains. We needed many switchbacks to wend our way upwards.
From www.baptismsite.com:
Upon Mount Nebo, God revealed Himself to Moses, as He had previously revealed Himself at Sinai, and Moses stood and looked over the Promised Land stretched out in front of him. He saw the Jordan River before him, descending from the heights of Mount Hermon into the depths of the Jordan valley.
From Wikipedia:
Mount Nebo is an elevated ridge in Jordan, approximately 710 metres (2,330 ft) above sea level, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land. The view from the summit provides a panorama of the Holy Land and, to the north, a more limited one of the valley of the River Jordan. The West Bank city of Jericho is usually visible from the summit, as is Jerusalem on a very clear day.
According to the final chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses ascended Mount Nebo to view the Land of Canaan, which God had said he would not enter, and to die there; he was buried in an unknown valley location in Moab.
A serpentine cross sculpture (the Brazen Serpent Monument) atop Mount Nebo was created by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni. It is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4–9) and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified (John 3:14).
On the highest point of the mountain, Syagha, the remains of a Byzantine church and monastery were discovered in 1933. The church was first constructed in the second half of the 4th century to commemorate the place of Moses' death. The church is first mentioned in an account of a pilgrimage made by a lady Aetheria in A.D. 394. Six tombs have been found hollowed from the natural rock beneath the mosaic-covered floor of the church. In the modern chapel presbytery, built to protect the site and provide worship space, remnants of mosaic floors from different periods can be seen. The earliest of these is a panel with a braided cross presently placed on the east end of the south wall.
On the way home, we saw shepherds with goats and sheep and the occasional camel along the road. There are stray dogs and cats all over Jordan - saw lots of them, especially the dogs that saunter lazily across the road willy nilly.
We made one last stop - at Pearl Nebo. This place specializes in mosaics and employs many people with disabilities. We watched how mosaics are made - it is a very intricate and demanding skill. Doug and I bought two lovely mosaic hot plates to use when we eat soup and crackers for supper on Saturday nights in the living room while we watch This Old House!
The hotel is full of families tonight. They come out from Amman (just an hour away) just for Friday night and Saturday. They swim in the two pools and enjoy the lovely buffets.
Lots on the agenda tomorrow. It will be our last day with Ruby since we fly to Cairo on Sunday.Read more
JordanAmmanAl MashtáQueen Alia International Airport31°43’17” N 35°59’22” E
April 15, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ 🌙 11 °C
First posting for today:
After breakfast, we set off heading north. We climbed steadily until we were back at sea level and then we kept on climbing.
We passed through Amman and at one point, we were near the Syrian border. Ruby assured us that we were 3-4 hours south of where the hostilities were taking place. That was comforting. Along the way, we saw the usual roadside vendors with their fruits and vegetables, and often, flocks of sheep and goats grazing right beside the highway. The landscape got gradually greener as we traveled with lots of grass and crops and bushes. We saw actual forests. Trees are very scarce in Jordan as they were almost all cut down indiscriminately for buildings and for firewood. Trees are now protected and there are huge fines for cutting down a tree without official permission, even if it's diseased or has been damaged by weather. That wouldn't go over well in Canada.
After 3 hours of driving, we reached our destination of Umm Qais (also spelled Umm Qays), a town in northern Jordan principally known for its proximity to the ruins of the ancient Gadara, also a former bishopric and present Latin Catholic titular see.
Gadara was a member of the Decapolis. The Decapolis (meaning Ten Cities in Greek) was a group of ten cities on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire. The cities were grouped together because of their language, culture, location, and political status, with each functioning as an autonomous city-state. Though sometimes described as a "league" of cities, it is now believed that they were never formally organized as a political unit. The Decapolis was a center of Greek and Roman culture in a region which was otherwise ancient Semitic-speaking peoples (Nabataeans, Arameans, and Judeans). In the time of the Emperor Trajan, the cities were placed into the provinces of Syria and Arabia Petraea; after a later reorganization several cities were placed in Syria Palaestina and later Palaestina Secunda. Most of the Decapolis region is located in modern-day Jordan, but Damascus is in Syria and Hippos and Scythopolis are in Israel.
The names of the traditional Ten Cities of the Decapolis come from the Roman historian Pliny the Elder in his Natural History. They are:
Gerasa (Jerash) in Jordan
Scythopolis (Beth-Shean) in Palestine, the only city west of the Jordan River
Hippos (Al Huson) (Hippus or Sussita) in Syria (Golan Heights)
Gadara (Umm Qais) in Jordan
Pella (West of Irbid) in Jordan
Philadelphia, modern day Amman, the capital of Jordan
Capitolias, also Dion, today Beit Ras in Jordan
Canatha (Qanawat) in Syria
Raphana in Jordan
Damascus, the capital of modern Syria
The New Testament gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke mention that the Decapolis region was a location of the ministry of Jesus. According to Matthew 4:23-25 the Decapolis was one of the areas from which Jesus drew his multitude of disciples, attracted by his "healing all kinds of sickness". The Decapolis was one of the few regions where Jesus travelled in which Gentiles (people who are not Jewish) were in the majority: most of Jesus' ministry focused on teaching to Jews.
In the first century, Jesus is said to have driven demons out of a man and into some swine "in the country of the Gadarenes" or "country of the Gerasenes", which has often been associated with Gadara. A story set in the "territory of the Gadarenes", probably referring to the area around Gadara, appears in the Gospel of Matthew, VIII 28-34. It describes an encounter between Jesus and two men "possessed by demons"; Jesus exorcises the demons, driving them into a nearby herd of pigs, which then run "down the steep place into the sea”, evidently intended to refer to the Sea of Galilee.
Gadara continued to be an important town within the Eastern Roman Empire, and was long the seat of a Christian bishop. With the conquest of the Arabs, following the Battle of Yarmouk in 636 it came under Muslim rule. Around 747 it was largely destroyed by an earthquake, and was abandoned.
Gadara was interesting to see, but the experience was marred somewhat by all the vendors (adults and children alike) hawking their souvenirs and drinks and balloons and horse rides. It created rather a cheap carnival atmosphere in a very historically-significant place.
We saw something very disturbing as we were getting on the bus to leave Umm Qais. As it was Saturday, the end of the Jordanian weekend, many families had come out for the day for picnics in the area. We saw about 50 people - men, women, children and babies - getting into the back of a huge trailer being pulled by a truck. No windows, no seats, no seat belts. Incredible unsafe. Just a few minutes later, a car came by us with an open sun roof and two young girls standing up and on the back seat and having a fine but terribly unsafe time. We've seen young children bouncing around in cars untethered or hanging out the windows as the cars whiz around at crazy speeds weaving in and out of traffic. The automotive safety standards that are so ingrained in our society now don't seem so draconian now.Read more
JordanAmmanAl MashtáQueen Alia International Airport31°43’17” N 35°59’22” E
April 15, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
Second posting for the day.....
After lunch at a buffet-style place, we toured Jerash Archeological City - the ancient meeting place of the east and the west. It is on Jordan's list of proposed UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Jerash is the site of the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Gerasa, also referred to as Antioch on the Golden River. The ruined city of Jerash is Jordan's largest and most interesting Roman site. Its imposing ceremonial gates, colonnaded avenues, temples and theatres all speak to the time when this was an important imperial centre.
At the extreme south of the site is the striking Hadrian’s Arch, also known as the Triumphal Arch, which was built in AD 129 in honour of the visit of Emperor Hadrian. Behind the arch is the hippodrome, which hosted chariot races in front of up to 15,000 spectators.
The South Gate, originally one of four along the city wall and built in 130, leads into the city proper. One of the most distinctive sites of Jerash, the forum is unusual because of its shape and huge size (90m long and 80m at its widest point). Fifty-six Ionic columns surround the paved limestone plaza, linking the cardo maximus with the Temple of Zeus.
The elegant remains of the Temple of Zeus, built around 162, can be reached from the forum – a worthwhile climb that we made to get the spectacular views. Next door, the South Theatre was built in the 1st century with a capacity of 5000 spectators. From the upper stalls the acoustics are still wonderful, as demonstrated by the bagpiper that we found playing there to a delighted audience.
Northeast of the forum lies the cardo maximus, the city’s main thoroughfare, also known as the colonnaded street. Stretching 800m to the North Gate, the street is still paved with its original stones, rutted by the wheels of chariots that once jostled along its length.
The colonnaded street is punctuated by the nymphaeum, the main fountain of the city, before giving rise to a superb propylaeum (monumental gateway) and a staircase. The Temple of Artemis, towering over Jerash at the top of the stairs, was dedicated to the patron goddess of the city, but alas it was dismantled to provide masonry for new churches under Theodorius in 386.
As with other sites, we found vendors everywhere selling their wares. Visitors to Jordan simply have to look past them to fully appreciate the historical sites.
On the way home to the Dead Sea, Ruby got the bus driver to stop at a roadside stand and get loquats. They are also called Chinese plums or Japanese plums. They are yellow and sweet and fleshy rather like a nectarine. The flavour is a mixture of peach, citrus and mild mango. Delicious.
We took a short detour to see the newly-constructed home of the owner of Manaseer Group, a huge Jordanian company involved in iron and steel recycling, gas stations, cement and concrete products (used extensively for homes here) and much more. His house is HUGE and is an exact copy of the White House. Unbelievable.
Saw a cute thing. Sheep are everywhere here in Jordan. We saw a herd of sheep being ushered through a pedestrian tunnel that crossed over the highway. Too funny for words. Sadly, no photo!
Our wakeup call tomorrow is for 3:00 a.m. as we have a 7:45 a.m. flight to Cairo. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.Read more
EgyptGizaNazlat as Sammān29°59’23” N 31°7’50” E
April 15, 2018 in Egypt ⋅ 🌙 25 °C
Our wakeup call came at 3:00 a.m. Not sure why I bothered to go to bed because I hardly slept. Doug got a little bit of sleep. We were In the lobby by 3:30 a.m. We each got a box breakfast with a banana, an apple, a sad cheese sandwich and two donut-like muffins. On the bus and on our way to the airport by 4:00 a.m. with the same young man who shepherded Doug and myself from the airport on Tuesday. A large Starbucks coffee at 6:30 a.m. perked me up a bit. Got some of yesterday’s write up done while we waited. Our flight left at 7:45 a.m. and we got to Cairo about 8:15 a.m. local time. Cairo is an hour behind Amman. Harry was there to guide us through the airport and to get us to our bus. Our driver is Monty and our guide is Mostafa.
For Doug and myself, this is 5th continent that we have seen – North America, Europe, Australia, Asia and now Africa. We have South America and Antarctic to go. Might have to settle for six out of seven.
First some information about Egypt (thanks Wikipedia):
Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia by a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is a Mediterranean country bordered by the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Gulf of Aqaba to the east, the Red Sea to the east and south, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. Across the Gulf of Aqaba lies Jordan, and across from the Sinai Peninsula lies Saudi Arabia, although Jordan and Saudi Arabia do not share a land border with Egypt.
From 1882 until 1952, Egypt was under British protection. It gained its independence following the 1952 revolution and was declared a republic in 1953.
Our first impression of Cairo is that it is so modern. It has a population of 25 million – that’s over one quarter of all the 95 million people in Egypt. I, wrongly, was expecting a place resembling Casablanca in the famous movie. Cairo is busy, with crazy, honking drivers. Lane markings on the road are non-existent and drivers squeeze in wherever they think they can gain a few inches. The traffic in the older areas of Cairo is complicated by tuk-tuks whipping around and going the wrong direction of the flow of traffic. A tuk-tuk is a little 3-wheeled machine – rather like a scooter with a roof, a seat for 2-3 passengers and a crazy driver. And then, to make life interesting, you see wagons drawn by horses or donkeys in and amongst the craziness. Throw in some wild motorcycle riders (no helmets of course), and you have a fine mess of traffic that requires nerves of steel and a constant application of the horn to be able to handle it. Oh yes, and jay walking is a nation sport here. There seem to be no crosswalks and very few lights, so people just step out and take their chances – men, women, children, everyone. Kudos to brave Monty for handling it all.
Mostafa took us on a city sight seeing tour since we couldn’t get into our hotel until later in the afternoon.
Our first stop was at the tomb of Anwar Sadat. He was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981. Sadat was a senior member of the Free Officers who overthrew King Farouk in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. As President, he led Egypt in the Yom Kippur War of 1973 to regain Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, which Israel had occupied since the Six-Day War of 1967, making him a hero in Egypt and, for a time, the wider Arab World. Afterwards, he engaged in negotiations with Israel, culminating in the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty; this won him and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin the Nobel Peace Prize, making Sadat the first Muslim Nobel laureate.
From the Sadat Memorial, we went to the Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha or Alabaster Mosque is a mosque situated in the Citadel of Cairo in Egypt and commissioned by Muhammad Ali Pashabetween 1830 and 1848. Situated on the summit of the citadel, this Ottoman mosque, the largest to be built in the first half of the 19th century, is, with its animated silhouette and twin minarets, the most visible mosque in Cairo. This mosque, along with the citadel, is one of the landmarks and tourist attractions of Cairo and is one of the first features you see when approaching the city from any direction.
We jaywalked like the locals to look at Abdeen Palace which is a historic Cairo palace, and one of the official residences and the principal workplace of the President of Egypt. You can see the British influence in the ornate ironwork gates.
Next, Mostafa took us on a boat ride up and down the Nile River. We rode in a felucca – a traditional wooden sailing boat that has been used in the protected waters of the Red Sea and on the Nile River for thousands of years. It was a great way to see more of this city while enjoying a quieter and calmer mood than a motorized boat would have to offer.
We had lunch at the Fish Boat – a restaurant that is an old boat floating on the Nile River.
Our next stop was Coptic Cairo which is a part of Old Cairo which encompasses the Babylon Fortress, the Coptic Museum, the Hanging Church, the Greek Church of St. George and many other Coptic churches and historical sites. Holy Family visited this area and stayed at the what is now the site of Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church (Abu Serga) during their 3 year 11 month exile in Egypt as they hid from King Herod. The cave where they stayed for 3 months is called the Cavern Church.
The Hanging Church (Saint Virgin Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church) is one of the oldest churches in Egypt dating to the 3rd century AD. It was built above the gatehouse of the Babylon Fortress and its nave is suspended over a passageway, giving it its name.
The Church of St. George is a Greek Orthodox church within Babylon Fortress in Coptic Cairo. The church dates back to the 10th century (or earlier). The current structure was rebuilt following a 1904 fire.
We were also able to see the site where Moses was plucked from the reeds of the Nile River by the daughter of the pharaoh.
We visited the Ben Ezra Synagogue near the Moses site.
We made a brief stop at the Amr ibn Al Aas Mosque, but Doug and I declined to go in since we had seen the splendid Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi during our visit to Dubai.
Fr. Paul said a lovely mass for us in a chapel run by the Sisters of St. Elizabeth of Padua. They minister to the approximately 800 lepers in Cairo.
Finally, we got to check into our hotel. We were thrilled to see two pyramids right near the hotel. This hotel is a step up from those we stayed at in Jordan. We will be here for four nights – the rest of the group will be here for five nights as they fly home Friday morning while we head out Thursday night. For the second hotel in a row, we got a room with twin beds. Going to see about moving to a king bed room tomorrow.
Had a lovely dinner - the dessert buffet sucked me into its vortex. We are going to the pyramids tomorrow!!Read more
