A Middle East Expedition

The Temple to Zeus dominated the center of Jerash. We rose early, had breakfast in the Teldo Hotel, and left for a tour of the city at 8:30 am. Amman, capital of Jordan, has a population close to three million. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world dating back to 8,500 BC. The Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans occupied it during their empire periods. The Egyptians named it Philadelphia, but it was renamed Amman during the Byzantine era.

Our guide warned us against taking photos of the US and UK embassies as we passed by, saying they were still shaky about terrorist attacks. There were quick stops at the King Abdullah I Mosque, the Parliament Building, a Roman Theater, and the Citadel where Greek, Roman, and Turkish armies once held forth.

Amman was neat and clean compared to Egypt and Saudi Arabia. There was no litter on the streets and no beggars anywhere. The traffic was quiet and orderly. The natives were polite and offered to help us at every turn. Almost everyone spoke English.

A Colonnade of columns lined the central plaza at Roman Jerash. Construction was booming throughout the city. The Abdali Downtown Project was going up with retail, commercial, dining, residential, and office units surrounding parks and pedestrian walkways. Skyscrapers were violating the four- story requirement everywhere, some reaching 56 floors. A magnificent suspension bridge spanned the valley that separated north and south Amman. A historic redevelopment project promised to restore Old Amman.

I was very surprised and impressed. In spite of Palestinian unrest, the Iraq War, and religious hatred all around, Jordan is taking the lead in Middle Eastern progress.

Forty miles from the hustle and bustle of modern Amman, was historic Jerash, often called "The Pompeii of the East" not because it was covered by volcanic ash but because it was destroyed by an earthquake in 749 AD, abandoned, then rediscovered and restored only recently.

Jerash was a thriving Greek center beginning in the third century. The Romans made it part of their Syrian province, and Emperor Hadrian used to hang out there around 129 AD. After Rome fell, Jerash was reborn as a Christian city under Byzantine rule. The Persians sacked it in 614 AD, then lost out to the Muslims in 635 AD. The Crusaders arrived 600 years after the earthquake and turned it into a fortress then abandoned it when the Muslim forces drove them back to Europe.

Greek and Roman plays were presented in this 3,000 seat theater. Our guide led us through Hadrian's Arch into the fascinating archaeological site. The Hippodrome once featured chariot races and gladiator events. The Temple of Zeus stood proudly above the Oval Plaza marketplace at the junction of the paved Roman Road that bears ruts from chariot wheels. The Colonnade surrounded the plaza. The Nymphaeum, a monumental fountain, contained niches with statues of beautiful nymphs.

Remains from Jerash's Christian past included the Cathedral and the churches of St. Theodore, St. Cosmos, St. Damian, John the Baptist, and St. George. A four- man band played for us in the Odeon Theater built in 165 AD.

While we sat in the Roman theater, a band played modern tunes including the "Star Spangled Banner." Jerash was a great experience. I could hardly wait until the next stop at Saladin's 12th century castle at Ajlun.

Next week: Ajlun, Saladin's Castle

A Roman soldier met us at the Hippodrome. This woven purse shows Hadrian's Arch, the entrance to Jerash.