This church was built around 394 AD and has been reconstructed by the Franciscans who own Mt. Nebo.

"And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mounta in of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land of Gilead…"

(Deuteronomy 34:1)

After plodding through the desert for 40 years, Moses finally arrived at Mt. Nebo. He probably shed a tear when he looked out over the Jordan River valley into the land promised by God. But, God didn't let him go any further and Moses died and was buried somewhere on Mt. Nebo. Later, the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah hid the Ark of the Covenant somewhere on Mt. Nebo. Thusly, Mt. Nebo became a sacred place for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

Around 394 AD, a Christian church and monastery were built on Mt. Nebo. During the many wars among Jews, Christians, and Muslims, the church fell into ruin and disappeared, only to be rediscovered in 1933. Archaeological digs led by the Franciscans, who own the site, have uncovered six tombs and a mosaic floor from the original church.

This Brazen Serpent Monument atop Mount Nebo was created by Italian artist, Giovanni Fantoni, and is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.

Today, Mt. Nebo is an active Franciscan monastery, the headquarters of the Franciscan Archaeological Institute.

At the spot where Moses completed his journey, I completed my Moses Pilgrimage. I have paid homage at

• The bullrushes on the Nile River in Egypt where Moses' mother hid him from the evil pharaoh.

• The banks of the Red Sea where Moses had parted the waters so his band of escaped Hebrew slaves could flee the Egyptian army.

• The summit of Mt. Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God.

This sign at the top of Mt. Nebo shows the direction and distances to the various sites to the west.

• The spring created by Moses in Petra when he struck a rock wall with his staff.

• And finally, the top of Mt. Nebo where the air was crisp and the view of the shrinking Dead Sea, the almost dry Jordan River, and the headlights of cars in Jerusalem were inspirational.

Driving onto Amman, our guide gave us a lesson on Jordanian culture and history:

• There are three classes in Jordan:

1. Impoverished and illiterate Bedouins.

2. Palestinian and Arab villagers tilling the soil.

3. Modern and educated city folk.

• It is traditional to be offered three cups of coffee in a Jordanian home that say:

1. Welcome to my home.

2. I offer you my friendship.

3. In my home you are protected.

• Two percent of Jordanian men have more than one wife compared to the Saudi 40%. The divorce rate in Jordan is 3.7%.

• The unemployment rate in Jordan in 1999 was 23%. It is now 13%.

This mosaic flooring of the original church on Mt. Nebo was rediscovered in 1933.

• Amman is an ancient, well- planned, clean city built on seven hills. Zoning restricts buildings to four stories.

• Forty- five percent of Jordanian high school grads pass the national university entrance exam. Thirty percent of these study abroad, mostly in the U.S. and England. Seven percent of these marry foreigners, mostly Americans. Next week:

 

 

 

 

The Dead Sea

The Franciscans welcome visitors and pilgrims to Mt. Nebo. Warner completes his Moses Pilgrimage and points across the Dead Sea and Jordan River to Jerusalem.