[from FB post: July 22, 2017]
Looking out over the West Bank
The winding road down to the Jordan Valley July 2017
[from FB post: July 21, 2017]
One of the highlights of the trip to Jordan for sure.
(Deuteronomy)
34 And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan,
2 And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea,
3 And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar.
4 And the Lord said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.
Further musings on Mt Nebo
After being wowed by the mosaics of Madaba, we continued up to Mt Nebo. It is funny how even Jordanian Muslims are pretty aware of all the Christian sites in their country. Mt Nebo was huge on the tourist trail and was a lot easier to find than the mosaics hidden away in churches and small museums in Madaba. The land crescendoed upward, slowly. We passed the village of Nebo and then saw a turn off and a church on a hill. We were there.
There actually was a church on Mt Nebo historically in the 5th century. Over time it fell into ruin and was only rediscovered again in the 1930s. Since Islam does not recognize the part of the Moses story where God gives the Jews the land of Canaan, they also do not recognize Mt Nebo as having any significance. The land was bought by the Franciscans and over the years more and more elaborate structures were built to showcase the mosaic floors of the original churches (stunning) and the views down the eastern side of the mountain into the Jordan Valley. Even if it was not Islamic, the Jordanians knew a good tourist draw when they saw one. Jordan is a conservative Muslim state, but it has great tolerance for its Christian minority and the role it played in the history of Christianity. Not to mention, money was to be made. Ultimately, Jordanians are pragmatists - I can't say I blame them.
The mosaics inside the basilica were much better presented than those in Madaba (no doubt made by the same craftspeople). Just having them cleaned up made a world of difference. A small space for religious services was set aside inside the basilica cum museum as well. One wonders who actually worshipped there since the site was holier for Jews than for Christians. Similar to other "landmark churches" I saw in the Middle East, they seemed to be purpose-built tourist churches, without congregations, that more or less "claimed" a spot for Christianity in Muslim majority nations. I saw this phenomenon in Turkey, Iraq, and Jordan. It is as if the Crusades never ended...
Outside the front doors of the basilica is a great patio overlooking the Land of Canaan. Late July was not an ideal time to visit as humidity was high and visibility was low. The Dead Sea appeared as a bluish smudge on the horizon and Jericho which should have been clearly visible was just a few dark squares in the valley. Apparently on very crisp days the taller buildings of Jerusalem were visible, but I wondered without binoculars if that were really possible? The road below snaked down from Mt Nebo zigzagging into the haze. We would be descending there very shortly into the humid mass of heat in the valley.
Mt Nebo left me amused with the ridiculousness of the intersection of religion and history. Human history was replete with one group of people coming in and taking over another group's lands who subsequently were replaced by yet DIFFERENT people. The fact that some traditional religious document granted a group lifetime leasehold to the lands on one side of the Jordan River seemed ridiculous. I am sure the Palestinians must feel that way every day of their lives. History, however, would support the Israelis, who with superior might, took over the land and made it their own. Brutal land acquisition IS human history again and again. "Might makes right" and all of that. I am not sure humanity has learned anything in its several thousand year history. Mt Nebo just seemed to be a pointed reminder of that.
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