Israel & Jordan: Mt. Nebo & Memorial of Moses Church

On day 12, we left the wonderful place of Petra towards the mosaic city of Madaba. According to the original itinerary, we were to visit Kerak Castle today, but due to the delay in overland crossing on day 9, the schedule was revamped. The first part of the day was a long drive to Mt. Nebo, that took 3 long hours. To entertain us, the tour director recounted his life story and the typical Jordanian family structures. That in itself is very interesting to me, but he sweetened the pot so to speak by doling out sesame seed cookies; I fell in love with them instantly. Well, I'm not the only one that found these cookies tasty; everyone wanted seconds.

The Franciscan-led Memorial of Moses was our first stop of the day. This was located in Mt. Nebo. Mt. Nebo is significant because it is where Moses lived out his day and the spot where he saw the Promised Land.

The roads are good.

The city of Madaba in the distance.

Signage

At the entrance of the site, there is an inspiring memorial monument “The Book of Love among People” by the Italian sculptor Vincenzo Bianchi. The monument celebrates the close spiritual union between the Jewish Torah, the Muslim Koran, and the Christian Gospel. On the base of the statue are carved the names of the persons and institutions who carried out the construction of the site, and the phrase “God is love” transcribed in Greek, Arabic, and Latin.

The back side of the sculpture.

Follow the rules.

The rolling stone used as a fortified door of a Byzantine monastery in the old village of Faisaliyah also called Kufeir Abu Badd.

Mt Nebo is located on a hill overlooking the Holy Land and is believed to be the burial place of Moses.

There is a mosaic on the grounds.

The colors come alive when wet.

The view to the Holy Land. The weather was clear so that we could see far.

Outside the monastery, near the balcony overlooking the panorama, there is a bronze sculpture by the Florentine artist Gian Paolo Fantoni, representing a snake twisting around a stick, forming a stylized cross. It symbolizes the serpent that Moses raised in the desert and the crucifixion of Christ.

Moses Memorial Church with magnificent mosaics that date back to the Byzantine time.

Inside the compound, there is a small museum that we also visited.

Lunch followed the visit. We went to a restaurant that was chosen by the tour director, which had a buffet set-up. While the food was just okay, I found the restaurant fabulous. Allow me to show you some photos.

Outside the restaurant, I met this handsome ginger cat. He would not leave my side after I fed him. Breaks my heart I couldn't take him with me.