To the Promised Land

After several consecutive weekends of sticking close to home, we set out on another adventure yesterday, this time to explore the heart of the Promised Land.

Instead of travelling with a Jordanian escort, as we’ve done thus far, we decided to rent two cars for our drive west.  Given my last post on Jordan’s traffic, this may not sound like the best idea.  Since weekends are unusually light, though, the guys behind the wheel (i.e. NOT me) didn’t have any problems. 

St. George Basilica in Madaba

The mosaic map in St. George

Our first stop was in the town of Madaba, about 45 minutes away from Amman.  Known for millennia as a center of tolerant interfaith coexistence, Madaba is home to a substantial portion of Jordan’s Christian population.  Here, church steeples rise alongside the minarets in the skyline.  One of the most prominent steeples sits atop the Greek Orthodox Basilica of St. George, which was our first stop. St. George’s walls are covered with mosaics and paintings depicting various biblical scenes.  Its hallmark feature is a 6^th century mosaic map of the Promised Land, which spreads across the floor near the pulpit.  Following the discovery of this map in the late 19^th century, Madaba was deemed Jordan’s “City of Mosaics,” an apt title given the abundance of this artwork throughout the town.

Learning the stories behind the rugs

We left St. George and began to stroll the streets, eventually stumbling into a shop belonging to a man with a passion for rugs.  Upon entering, we found walls covered in colorful tapestries woven by hand from sheep and goat’s hair.  After showing us some of his stock, the owner offered to take upstairs, where he stores his personal, not-for-sale collection.  Each rug had a story.  We learned the meaning behind their patterns and about the people who made them.  In the end, I made my first souvenir purchase, a beautiful Egyptian rug that will find its home in my dorm room beginning this fall.

My proud purchase!  Still trying to decide whether it will match my turquoise bedding...

From Madaba, we made our way to Mt. Nebo, the site where Moses is supposedly buried.  According to the bible, Moses arrived at Mt. Nebo after his 40 years of leading God’s people through the desert.  Finally, he looked upon the Promised Land intended for the Israelites, and he died shortly thereafter at the ripe age of 120.  Truthfully, the view from Mt. Nebo is nothing extraordinary.  In keeping with the rest of Jordan’s landscape, it’s mostly desert, so it may not have been the “land of milk and honey” that Moses expected.  Still, the history of the place made it worth a special visit.

Memorial for Moses

Looking out over the Promised Land

We made another quick stop at a different panoramic overlook before heading to the Dead Sea, where the temperature was a toasty 108.  Unlike the rest of Jordan, the area around the Dead Sea is humid because of the moisture from the water rising into the air.  As a result, our dip in the pool felt more like a bath, and it was one of the sweatier afternoons of the trip so far.  Once the sun moved lower in the sky, we waded into the water.  After repeated attempts to touch the bottom, I realized it was impossible, as the water was too buoyant.  What a bizarre sensation!  We bobbed around for a while before getting out to smooth mud from the sea’s floor onto our skin.  Because of the minerals in the water, this mud is supposed to have healing properties.  I’m not sure if I’ve felt a difference yet, but I’ll keep you updated!

Do we look any younger?

After cleaning up, we finished the day with a fantastic dinner and returned home, exhausted and slightly sun kissed.  Now, we’re making it through a tough week of final academic assignments before heading to Jerusalem in a few days.  

A relaxing trip, to be sure!