Mount Nebo
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Mount Nebo (Arabic: جبل نيبو, Jabal Nībū) is an elevated ridge that is approximately 817 metres (2680 feet) above sea level, in what is now western Jordan. The view from the summit provides a panorama of the Holy Land and, to the north, a more limited one of the valley of the River Jordan. The West Bank city of Jericho is usually visible from the summit, as is Jerusalem on a very clear day.[1] |
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Ancient History[2]
Less than 10 kilometers west of Madaba is Mount Nebo, known as Pisgah in the Bible. It is where the Bible says Moses lived out his remaining days and viewed the Promised Land which he would never enter (Deuteronomy 34: 1-8). Mt. Nebo offers a fantastic view westward, with a vista that includes the Dead Sea, the West Bank, the Jordan River, and, on a clear day, Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
There are actually two peaks on Mt. Nebo, Siyagha and al-Mukhayyat. During the sixth century CE, a Byzantine monastery was constructed at Siyagha. It was built on the foundations of an even earlier chapel, which was erected by monks from Egypt during the third or fourth century CE. Although little remains of the buildings that housed them, the mosaics of this period can be seen today inside the modern-day shrine atop Siyagha. The main mosaic, which measures three by nine meters, depicts the monastic pastime of wine-making, as well as hunters and an assortment of animals. Outside the building is an enigmatic Serpentine Cross. The figure represents the bronze serpent taken up by Moses in the desert, as well as the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.
Just beyond Feisaliyya, a small town just east of Mt. Nebo, are the remains of the village of Nebo. The place, now known as Khirbet al-Mukhayyat, was mentioned in the Bible as well as on the Mesha Stele. Here, during the middle of the sixth century, villagers constructed their own church dedicated to the Saints Lot and Procopius. The floor was, of course, decorated with yet another rich carpet of mosaics which can be seen today. Travelers to Mt. Nebo seldom venture on to Khirbet al-Mukhayyat, so a brief detour here might be especially rewarding.
The area of Nebo, Siyagha and al-Mukhayyat was purchased by the Franciscan Fathers in 1934. A road was built to connect the area with Madaba, and then excavations of the area began.
Topography[3]
Close to the village of Faysaliyah seven kilometers west of Madaba, Mount Nebo rises from the Transjordanian plateau. It is bound on the east by the Wadi Afrit (which extends into the Wadi el-Kanisah) and the Wadi Judeideh further south and on the north by the Wadi en-Naml and further the Wadi Ayoun Mousa . It is flanked on the west by the Jordan Valley
Mount Nebo's highest crest reaches an altitude of 800 meters above the surrounding Belqa plateau.. The other peaks are slightly lower, all of them rising from 700 meters. Of these, the two most important, historically speaking are the peaks of Siyagha (710m.) on the western side and the peak of el Mukhayyat (790m.) on the S-E. All the year round several streams flow down the sides of the mountain: Ayoun Mousa and Ain Jemmaleh on the north, Ain Judeideh, Kanisah and Ain Hery on the south.
Nebo provides a unique natural balcony for a bird's-eye view of the Holy Land and southern Jordan. If the observer looks to the south, the panorama extends over the Dead Sea and the Desert of Judah. Looking to the west, it includes the Valley of the Jordan with the mountains of Judea and Samaria, and more to the north Jebel Osha and the southern slopes of the Wadi Zerqa. The hills around Amman are plainly visible to the observer in the distance, and on the steep limits of the plateau Hesban and the mountain of Mushaqar.
On very clear days the unaided eye can pick out Bethlehem and not far from there the singular cone that was Herod's fortress of Herodium, the towers and buildings of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives all the way to Ramallah. In the valley of the Jordan Qumran is easily discerned by the side of the Dead Sea, then the oasis of Jericho, Shunet Nimrin, the dams of the Wadi Shueib and the Wadi Kafrein, Tell er-Rameh-Livias, Tuleilat el Ghassul and Suweimeh. On the edge of the plateau near Jebel Osha on the hilly spurs of El Salt Iraq el-Amir is visible.
Recent History
On March 19, 2000, Pope John Paul II visited the site during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Mount Nebo being one of the most important Christian sites in Jordan). During his visit he planted an olive tree beside the Byzantine chapel as a symbol of peace.
The serpentine cross sculpture (the Brazen Serpent Monument) atop Mount Nebo was created by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni. It is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4-9) and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified (John 3:14).
References
- ↑ Wikipedia: Mount Nebo, Jordan
- ↑ The Office of His Majesty King Hussein I of Jordan
- ↑ Franciscan Archaeological Institute - Memorial of Moses at Mount Nebo
