Last major field trip! After getting back from Galilee, we had two free days with just enough time to sleep and fight over the washers and dryers....then off to Jordan we went! All of us weren't completely ready for all the traveling this trip required, but it was only 4 days, and TOTALLY worth it.
SUNDAY: Hannah and I looking into the mountains of Gilead atop Mt. Nebo which houses a memorial for Moses (supposedly where he is buried, although we know from modern revelation that he was translated). In any case, it was a beautiful view and a chance to stretch our legs from the long bus drive.
Maqaras is the ancient palace site where John the Baptist was imprisoned and eventually beheaded at the hands of Herod Antipas. If you know the story, you will probably catch who all of us girls are trying to be...Silome! Probably not the best role model considering she danced for her step-father (Herod Antipas) and in exchange, made him promise to kill John and present his head to her mother, Herodias. Crazy family relations...
MONDAY: Petra!!! The most-anticipated and highlight of the Jordan trip. I realized it may not be the best thing that I was more excited to realize that I walked in the footsteps of Harrison Ford and Sean Connery rather than see the really old remnants of a civilization carved into sandstone. Either way, it was a splendid day and one of the best moments was when everyone joined in to sing the Indiana Jones theme :)
Good ole' Professor Chadwick actually helped excavate one of the temples here (the Temple of the Winged Lions shown behind us) while doing his doctorate degree. How many times can you say that your personal tour guide/teacher worked on the very stuff people pay hundreds to see...and in PETRA, of all places! Awesome.
Look at all of those colors! Our guide said that within 3-4 days, the colors would change so it always looks different according to the time of year. The 40 min hike through the "canyon of the crescent moon" was all of this....beautiful!
The Nebutians (the name of the people living in Petra) were involved in pagan worship of desert gods in this main Great Temple...or rather this is what's left of it. The earthquake of 363 CE destroyed the temple and effectively ended this huge (and quite successful) civilization which some say even rivaled the Roman Empire during the time of Jesus.
P.S. Notice how beautiful that sky is! We were told that it is almost always hazy and white, but we happened to come on the perfect day. Bright blue sky and cool temps; only in the high 80s/low 90s! (its so weird to say that considering it was almost December!)
TUESDAY: Took a stroll in Jerash, one of the best preserved Roman cities in the Middle East. Once we sat down in the large amphitheater, we were delightfully entertained by Jordanian bagpipers! Haha I don't think I've seen anything more hilarious...it looked very misplaced, but they were actually really good! After they were done, the students all got up to try out the acoustics and sing, "Praise to the Man" (we sing everywhere we go....we are actually quite notorious for it haha) and to our surprise, the bagpipers joined in! I couldn't believe that they knew it! That was probably one of my favorite moments singing in the Holy Land.
On the way back to our hotel, we stopped at an overlook to see the ancient site of the Jabbok River and talked about Jacob's 'wrestle with the angel' before returning home in Canaan. (This is Chelsea who is leaving for her mission to Chile in January! Love that girl)
Ok so I LOVE the Jordanian people. We heard story after story about the famous "Jordanian hospitality" but I didn't really believe it until it happened to us! As we strolled through the streets of Amman (the capital of Jordan), we were greeted by almost EVERY shop or store owner and were offered free food. It was so refreshing to see such genuine friendliness, instead of flattering merchants just trying to sell you their stuff. It is mainly because this area does not see many tourists, especially during this time of year. We weren't even hungry for dinner because of all the pastries and chocolates we ate! After turning down many offers for tea and coffee, we decided to buy a nice cup of hot chocolate. I was surprised to find that authentic Jordanian hot cocoa consists of milk, a spoonful of sugar, and....wait for it.....good ole' Nestle chocolate powder! haha. It was basically just hot chocolate milk with froth, but it was delicious :)
WEDNESDAY: For our last day in Jordan, we visited the Amman citadel and archaeological museum. Here is the oldest statue EVER found in history. Found in a Neolithic settlement north of Amman dating to 6,500 BCE!
Temple of Hercules....doesn't need much explaining.
Our last stop was Bethany, another site of Jesus' baptism (not the Bethany behind the Mt. of Olives, another one). According to my professor (a prestigious New Testament scholar) this is most likely THE place. Even though the KJV says "Bethania," the earliest manuscripts of the Bible, describe the place of John's baptizing in "Bethany beyond Jordan." Regardless, here is the Jordan River (much lower and dirtier than in ancient times) but still cool.
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