Earlier this week we had the opportunity to visit Mount Nebo (the land of Moab, now Jordan), where God showed Moses the Promised Land. This is also where Moses was said to have died.
The view from the top of Mount Nebo is spectacular. From it, you can see the Dead Sea (far left), Jerusalem (center), the Mount of Olives, and Jericho (right). We got to visit on a rather clear and sunny day, so we were able to see it as Moses likely would have.
We also happened to visit on a windy day, so we all had fun playing atop the edge of the mountain. The term “mount” in Mount Nebo should be used loosely, as it’s really just a hill among some other hills. The edge below me was about a six foot drop.
A more unknown aspect of Mount Nebo is that the mountain, along with its neighboring town of Madaba, is known for it’s incredible mosaics. The mosaics atop Mount Nebo are preserved with a church that has been built over them. It was through these mosaics that historians learned that the true Baptism Site of Jesus was on the Jordanian side of the Jordan River, not the Israeli side.
During our visit to Mount Nebo, we also took a few hours to visit Madaba. Madaba is known for its incredibly detailed mosaics originating from as early as the sixth century. Almost every city book has a preserved church lying within it, all of which are lined with incredibly detailed mosaics. The mosaics are images of religious figures and scriptures, as well as intricate maps of the Holy Land. Many historians and archaeologists have studied these maps to better understand the religious history of the Middle East.
Now, Madaba is a bright, open, and beautiful small town. Most of its businesses are geared towards tourists and offer small handcrafted mosaics for sale.
