SPECIAL EDITION
Volume IV No. 7 Nicholas Scrolls December 2008
The
Land where GOD walked as a Man
Part One
Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth
peace among men in whom he is well pleased.”
Greetings brethren, friends and
neighbors,
Glory to God in the highest and
shalom unto each of you and your households this holiday season. Having been
greatly moved once again during my recent visit to Jordan and Israel, I’m ready
to change gears and get re-immersed back into that place I should never have
strayed from; the gospel of our Lord and Savior. My last word on politics is
that I hate it with deep passion. We are called to make a separation from all
that is worldly but I often find myself having to re-enter those camps because
so many of my Christian brethren are enslaved therein. Sometimes, the messenger
must travel to dangerous places risking various abuses, mockings and scourgings
in order to appeal to those still imprisoned by worldliness to REPENT and… “Come
ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no
unclean thing; And I will receive you, And will be to you a Father, And ye
shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2
Corinthians 6:17-18
It is my sincerest desire to
build a power point presentation of the many photographs we captured while on
our tour of Jordan and Israel complete
with appropriate scripture references and historical footnotes. When completed
this presentation will be made available on my web site for all to see and
enjoy. In the mean time this scroll will document our journey, my reflection
and insights as I describe the many places we visited.
The flight to Amman, Jordan
was long and flying coach is not so easy on a crowded plane with little leg
room but who can afford first class seating anymore? Renee and I did some
reading and a lot of sleeping in flight to make the time pass more smoothly. As
we were flying over the eastern part of the Mediterranean
Sea on approach to the Israeli coastline, the Captain makes the
announcement that all passengers must put their seats in an upright position
and fasten their seat belts as we were heading into restricted air space. I
suppose there is always a chance that one’s plane could be targeted by
anti-aircraft missiles launched by terrorists but my faith in God was
sufficient to settle my worries about such possibility.
As we began our slow descent from
35,000 feet we could begin to see the stark contrasts of the vivid blue green
Mediterranean Sea meeting with the coastline of Israel. I suppose it was for
safety’s sake that we flew over Israel
into Amman, Jordan
because anywhere else might have got us shot down with Lebanon and Syria
to the north and Egypt
to the south.
We landed safely in Amman and after extensive
security and customs clearing we boarded our bus and headed for the Radisson
SAS Hotel for dinner and a time of refreshment and relaxation. Renee and I
traveled with Dr. Noah Hutchings from Southwest Radio Church Ministry and with
46 persons in our group we felt safer than we would have otherwise traveling
alone. This was my second tour with Noah but it was Noah’s 52 tour to Jordan
and Israel and he has conducted many such Christian tours all over the world to
countries including Turkey, Egypt, Greece and China just to name a few. Noah
likes to boast that he has never lost a tour member on any of his excursions
and all return home safely.
Amman – Land of the Ammonites
Our first full day begins with a
bus ride through Amman
noting a few modern amenities like Starbucks and Safeway intermingled with
mostly white and blonde colored sandstone structures built to serve as
apartments and various businesses. Very few building structures are built with
wood. Everything I saw was constructed of the same limestone and sandstones
common to this region. No need to worry over depleting building and
construction resources here as rock is plentiful throughout the entire region. I
saw little evidence of city parks or much greenery like we’re accustomed to
here in America and the land was prominently a dry and arid region with its
water supply below ground within naturally formed aquifer systems made of
limestone similar to those found in Florida.
Jordan
today is called the Hashemite
Kingdom but in biblical
times it was separated into three regions. Ammon was to the north while Moab was central and Edom was to the south. For those of
you familiar with Old Testament accounts and history, these were the regions
where the Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites dwelled. This area lies primarily
east of the Jordan Valley proceeding south to the northern tip of the Red Sea. The current boundary line between Jordan and Israel
also runs straight through the middle of the Dead Sea allowing both countries
to capitalize on the Dead Sea’s rich mineral, salt and magnesium mining not to
mention the popular tourism industry the Dead Sea
region attracts.
Ammon is a Decapolis city rich
with history boasting a number of ancient Roman
Theatres and Byzantine Churches.
The Capitol city of Amman
is referred to in the Book of Deuteronomy 3:11 as “Rabbath the children of Ammon.”
This was also from where King Og ruled, a giant man by today’s human standards
and according to scripture, one of the last from a giant race of peoples known as
the Rephaim from the land
of Bashan. His bed was
made of iron to accommodate his weight and is said to be nine cubits long! Og’s
kingdom and all the land
of Bashan was conquered
by the Israelites as they were coming out from their wilderness wanderings of
forty years. See chapter three of Deut.
Deuteronomy 3:11 (For
only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant
of the Rephaim; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in
Rabbath of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was the length thereof, and four
cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.)
Wrestling
with God at Jabbok
Leaving Amman we traveled north through a mountainous
region noting various caves in the hillsides along the way. Our Jordanian tour
guide, James pointed out ancient grave sites where slain Roman soldiers bodies
lay. We soon came upon a river crossing at Jabbok which marked the ancient
boarder between the Ammonites and the Reubenites (Deut. 3:16). We disembarked
the bus and walked down to the banks of the Jabbok River
recounting the story told of Jacob wrestling with an angel of God. It is here
in this spot that Jacob was first given the name Israel because he contended with
the angel even while suffering a dislocated hip.
Genesis 32:22-32 “And he rose up that night, and
took his two wives, and his two women servants, and his eleven sons, and passed
over the fiord Jabbok. And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent
over that he had. And Jacob was left
alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against
him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was
out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, “Let me go, for the day
breaketh.” And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he
said unto him, “What is thy name?” And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name
shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou
power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, “Tell me, I
pray thee, thy name.” And he said, “Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my
name?” And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel:
for I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved. And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose
upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel
eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto
this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that
shrank.”
This site was absent of any
memorial or tourist facilities. The river flowed a murky brown color carrying
heavy sediments in its downward flow to the valley below. Many of the modern
highways and roads now in use throughout Jordan
and Israel
are built over the very same ancient trails that nomadic shepherds, patriarchs
and prophets have used for millennia. This particular spot where the meandering
roadway crosses over the Jabbok is very likely the place or at least nearest
the very place where Jacob and the angel wrestled. Who among us can say he has
wrestled with God or his angels and prevailed? This is a remarkable story and
one that signifies Israel’s
very beginnings.
After this significant event,
Jacob (Israel) was fearing for his life and the lives of the mothers and
children traveling with him saw his Brother Esau approaching with 400 of his
men. But as the story is told, Esau was glad to see his brother Jacob. After Leah,
and her children and Rachael and her children and the two maids and Joseph had
approached and bowed to honor Esau Jacob then bowed down to the ground
fearfully honoring his brother seven times as he approached.
Genesis 33:4 “And Esau ran to meet him, and
embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.”
Ancient Roman Decapolis City of Jerash
We headed north to the ancient
ruins of the Roman
Decapolis City
– Jerash. Jerash was founded in the second century before Christ and boasts of
several pagan temples of worship. The first thing you lay eyes on is Hadrian’s
Arch. This is the main entrance gate into the city. It is a heavy built massive
stone structure with three arched gates. The main central gate is widest and
was designed for horse and chariots and there were two smaller gates on either
side of the main which served as ingress and egress for pedestrian traffic.
Four massive columns capped with Corinthian style capitols adorn the gates on
all sides supporting a large and very ornately carved structure atop the gates.
Jerash was the only known city to have been taken peacefully by the Romans
under Hadrian’s command. In fact it is said that the residents so welcomed the
Romans that they built Hadrian’s Arch in 129 AD as a gift to Hadrian himself. Jerash
once boasted of a large Christian community with over thirteen churches.
Upon entering through the gates
your eyes are entreated with a huge complex of structures partially restored
and still active archeological sites. The ruins of the Temple of Zeus
and Artemis are incredible sites to behold. Court yards and city streets
adorned with columns, some with Roman capitols atop and others with Corinthian
style capitols. Not all the columns were carved of sandstone and limestone as
many we saw were made of beautiful stone marble and though time and age has had
its effect on them they are still quite beautiful today in their present form.
It was here that I learned the reason why so many of these ancient cities lie
in ruins today.
I was until now under the
impression most of the destruction of these cities took place during the fall
of the Roman Empire and indeed there still
remains evidence of that today. But the truth is that this whole region which
comprises modern day Jordan
and Israel was rocked by a number
of huge earthquakes in the eighth century approx. 735 AD destroying much of
what remained after the Roman Empire fell. Most
scientists and scholars disagree on actual dates of significant earthquakes of
that region and era but we do know that there were seven significant quakes
between 701 and 800 AD contributing to much destruction. It is noteworthy here to
mention that the greatest known quake was recorded in 589 AD which cost the
lives of at least 60,000 people. Though this quake was nearest Antioch
the entire Middle East region is earthquake
prone because of its proximity to the largest fault line known to exist on
earth. This fault line runs straight through the middle of the Jordan Valley
and the lowest point on dry earth, the Dead Sea.
It goes without saying here that geological forces are impartial to political
boundaries and boarders.
Some other notable features of
this city are seen in the type and construction of Roman roads. The roads are
convex in that at the center line they are highest and slope downwards towards
the curbsides. Beneath these massive pavement stones are engineered aqueduct
canals that are designed to channel precious rain water to cisterns at various
locations for water stowage. They even had fashioned what we call “man-hole”
covers for access to the drainage systems. Such a cover was of course made of a
round cut paving stone with a heavy piece of iron bored in its center for easy
lifting. I still can’t imagine this was an easy task to lift but I noted that
the stone which served as a manhole was conical in its shape helping it to stay
in place without falling through into the aqueduct under the pressure of pedestrian
foot and chariot traffic. We followed this road visiting a known butcher house
where a stone butchering table clearly showed its years of use in animal
slaughter. The heavy stone table was supported by heavy ornately carved stone
legs in the shape of various animals used for food. To either side of the
butchering table carved into the building stones were curious looking holes in
the shape of worn rings which served as tying points to keep live animals on
display for customers who would come in shopping for fresh meat. Once the
animals had been killed and dressed, their carcasses would be heavily salted for
preservation and hung on heavy wooden dowels butted into holes carved right out
of the limestone walls and column supports. I noted that despite the fact that
stone is harder and more resilient than wood the wearing and curvature of the
stone butcher table looked a lot like a modern wooden butcher table top with the
same kind of wear marks. So much of Jerash was so well preserved that it was
not difficult to imagine what life was like in this once bustling Decapolis city.
One cannot leave Jerash without
visiting the Nympheum and Roman theatre. Amazing architecture and design were
employed by Greek and Roman civilizations. One of the most fascinating features
found in all Roman theatre designs is the acoustic quality of each theatre. One
can sit at the highest level of seating, even in the largest coliseums and hear
the actors’ voices and performances clearly from down below. If you stand in
the center of the stage and speak in a normal tone of voice towards the seating
area you’ll hear your voice come back to you in a largely amplified volume. It
is quite a sensation indeed. While there we were treated to a small ensemble of
Jordanian men in their Palestinian garb and headdress playing Amazing Grace to bagpipes and drums.
On the front face of each isle
and seat were Greek inscriptions indicating an alpha-numeric system of seating
for reservations. This was primarily to identify preferred seating for the
elite classes of people like Senators, Governors and visiting dignitaries attending
theatre engagements. A well-to-do patron would carry with him a small stone
with a matching alpha number indicating his or her seat assignment. There were
also entrances into the theatres and coliseums that segregated the elite
classes of peoples from the commoners but all peoples were allowed to attend. A
typical theatre in any given city would have been built to seat approximately
1/3 of that city’s normal populace making it easy for archeologists and
paleontologists to determine population sizes of these cities. There was so
much more to see but our schedule was aggressive and after taking many photos
we boarded our bus and headed back into Amman
for a Bedouin lunch before heading out on the King’s highway to the plains of Moab and Mt. Nebo.
The food was Lebanese and was served in courses. The beverage of choice was
fresh squeezed lemonade with freshly chopped mint. It was more like a lemon
mint tea than lemonade but quite delightful.
Moab and Mount
Nebo
After lunch we left Amman for the Plains of Moab on our way to Mt. Nebo.
Along the way one notices the vast expanses of a seemingly dry and unforgiving
desert country sparsely populated by scattered Bedouin towns and encampments.
The Bedouin were nomads and typically shepherds tending flocks generally
following the paths of greener landscapes along river systems and fertile
valleys. Some Bedouin camps still exist and can be seen from the highway marked
by groups of tents pitched out in the desert. The Bedouin shepherds we did see
did not look much different than shepherds must have looked 4000 years ago. The
King of Jordan in more recent times funded special villages and had simple
single family houses built to accommodate the Bedouin tribesmen and their
families. Some have since settled as their once nomadic lifestyle is becoming a
thing of the past.
Leaving the Plains of Moab we ascend
to 3000 feet in elevation winding around steep canyons and clefts approaching Mt. Nebo.
The landscape appearing so unforgiving accentuates the difficulty and struggle
the Israelites must have endured as they wandered through this wilderness so
long ago hoping to one day enter the promise land, the “land of milk and honey.”
It was from the land of Moab atop Mt Nebo that Moses lived out his last days
and saw with his own eyes looking westward into the Jordan valley and beyond -
the Promised Land. Moses and the
first generations of wandering Jews would however not enter this land; it was
for the new generation that had been raised from youth during their 40 years of
wandering.
A
Promise with Conditions Set
Deuteronomy
6:3 “Hear
therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and
that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised
thee, in the land that flows with milk and honey.”
But all people rebelled time and
again and finally the Lord commanded Moses to make additional covenant with the
Sons of Israel from the land
of Moab. Deuteronomy
29:2-6 And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, “Ye
have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto
Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; The great
temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:
Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears
to hear, unto this day. And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your
clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy
foot. Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that
ye might know that I am the LORD your God…”
Even so, Moses reminded them that
restoration was promised but they had to choose life over death saying in Deuteronomy
30:15-20 “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and
evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his
ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that
thou may live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land
whither thou goes to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou
wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;
I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall
not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passes over Jordan to go to
possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have
set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life,
that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou may love the LORD thy God, and
that thou may obey his voice, and that thou may cleave unto him: for he is thy
life, and the length of thy days: that thou may dwell in the land which the
LORD has sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give
them.”
From the Plains of Moab near Mt. Nebo on
his birthday, Moses gathered the all the remnant of Israel that was still with him
making this announcement; Deuteronomy 31:2-6 “… I am an hundred and twenty
years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the LORD hath said
unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan. The LORD thy God, he will
go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and
thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD
hath said. And the LORD shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings
of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed. And the LORD
shall give them up before your face, that ye may do unto them according unto
all the commandments which I have commanded you. Be strong and of a good
courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that
doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
As our eyes gazed westward Pastor
Noah Hutchings had read aloud this final account made of Moses. Deuteronomy
34:1-7 “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
showed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan,
And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the
land of Judah, unto the utmost sea, And the south, and the plain of the valley
of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar. And the LORD said unto him, This
is the land which I swore 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. So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in
the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.
And he buried him in a valley in the land
of Moab, over against
Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre (exact burial place) unto this
day. And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was
not dim, nor his natural force abated.”
Though no man knows the exact
burial place of Moses it is believed that he was buried on the lower west side
of Mt. Nebo but the Word of God still holds
true to this day that no man really knows. The next time the body of Moses is
mentioned is near the end of the New Testament in the little Book of Jude 1:9 “Yet
Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the
body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The
Lord rebuke thee.” But we know Moses lives even today in a resurrected
body because of his appearing with Elijah and Jesus in the transfiguration,
(Matt 17:1-8).
We departed from Mt. Nebo and
headed south to Petra
where our next overnight stop would be. I was looking forward to bartering with
the Bedouins for some ancient coins and relics while touring Petra.
The
Ancient City
of Petra
We got started early today as our
schedule was tight and there was a lot to see and many miles to cover as we
would also be seeing Wadi Rumm in the afternoon and crossing the boarder at
Aqaba into Israel for an
overnight stay in the beautiful resort city of Eilat
on the Red Sea.
With anticipation and excitement
we entered the gate into Petra
the next morning and began our walk towards the Ciq. Here near the entrance
visitors have the opportunity to take horse and buggy rides into the city or
travel by donkey. Camel rides are offered once inside the sprawling ancient
city. We chose to walk and take our time going in. As we passed the corral
where the horses and donkeys are kept one can’t help but notice the strong odor
of urine and the horses did not look well fed. The sounds of galloping horse
and buggy carts whipping by added to the ambiance of the scene as we approached
the entrance to the Ciq. There were monolithic size tombs carved right out of
the sandstone mountain formations adorning both sides of the trail. One such
tomb was massive and obviously built to house an entire family. It is the
Obelisk Tomb & Bab as-Siq Triclinium. The architectural designs showed
evidence of Egyptian and Phoenician influence by the shape of pyramid like obelisks
atop the tomb entrances.
The colorful sandstone hills and
rock formations reminds you of parts of Utah
and the Painted Desert. One starts feeling like
he or she is entering the land that time forgot and you could easily envision
dinosaurs roaming about in such a primeval looking landscape. As the trail
sloped downward towards the Ciq you begin to see the narrow cleft through the
mountain with its sides towering 250 feet above you. This Ciq, as it is called
was formed long ago by a prehistoric earthquake which split the entire mountain
in two parts. It provided natural defense and security for its inhabitants and
is believed to be one of the main trade routes between Asia and the Middle East used primarily for spice, oil, incense and
textile trade. This very route is likely the one that the three wise men
traveled through from the east on their way to Bethlehem to see the new King born. Matthew 2:2 “Saying, Where is he that is born
King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to
worship him.”
The mile long trail through the Ciq
is still partially paved in parts from when the Romans had occupied the city.
The huge Roman paving stones made a buggy ride look like quite a bumpy
experience. The path meanders as you find yourself looking upward towards the
bright multi-colored layers of sandstone and to each side you see the remnants
of what served as an aqueduct system bringing water into the city. The entire
path is on a downward slope so all the water going into the city was gravity
fed. These aqueducts were carved right into the mountain sides at about waist
height and resembled troughs. There were places where you could see that
ceramic pipes were laid in these troughs keeping the water contained as it made
its way to the city. Two or three natural springs are marked along the way
inside the Ciq by dams and the presence of fig trees and bamboo groves growing
right out of solid rock. These springs also fed into the aqueduct system. No
underground plumbing here!
On the shady underside of the
cliff face just above the aqueduct canals limestone can be seen leeching out of
the brightly colored sandstone. These formations appear more like coral
surrounded by vibrant hues of red, yellow and purple sandstone with contrasting
veins of basaltic rock running through the sculpted canyon walls. In several
places along the path altars had been built to provide travelers a place to
worship and rest. The engravings upon these altars show that in many pagan
beliefs, a kind of trinity was acknowledged depicting their worship of the
earth, sun and water. Approaching the end of the Ciq we saw the remnants of a
giant carving in the cliff face depicting a large camel with its merchant owner
headed toward the city, presumably with goods for barter. The engraving is so
badly damaged that it was difficult making out anything more than the camel’s
legs, feet and belly and the merchant’s sandaled feet.
And then behold, a crevice in the
Ciq appears giving the traveler a glimpse of the famous Treasury building just
ahead. Clearing the canyon walls you see the Treasury building in full majestic
view with its towering sculpted columns rising upward sporting beautifully
carved engravings depicting various animals, indigenous crops, chalices and
gods and goddesses that were worshiped by the peoples that once inhabited this
city. This entire structure, like all the altars and tombs seen here was carved
right out of the limestone and sandstone rock face. Because no structure was
built and placed here these ruins have fared much better than other ancient
cities because everything was carved right out of the mountain sides making the
entire city resistant to the many earthquakes that have plagued the region for
millennia. We stopped to visit and take many pictures. The treasury building is
actually a very large royal tomb site and place of worship. Beneath the
monolithic structure are additional tombs still being discovered today as this
site continues to be an active archeological dig.
We continued to meander through
the widening path seeing dozens more tombs and places of worship. It is easy to
see the differences in tomb styles indicating status of the families that owned
the tombs. Near the front entrance of some of the tombs one can see stick like
human figurines carved in different sizes representing the family members
buried inside, father, wives and children. A couple of tombs being constructed
were never finished leaving behind untold stories of its owners. Further down
the path the city sprawls out even more showing a multitude of caves that
served as dwelling places for the city’s inhabitants. It was here I met with a
Bedouin man and bartered for some ancient coins. A small girl approaches us
hoping that we would buy a colorful sandstone rock or two. In broken English
she exclaims she needs the money for schooling. I did not indicate interest at
first so she gives my daughter one stone no charge but hangs with us for a bit
as Renee and I explore more of the sites.
A Bedouin woman approaches us
with a handsome display of ancient coins and I did not buy as I had already
made an earlier purchase of Roman, Nabataean and Byzantine era coins. As we
were trying to walk away and catch up with our group she and the little girl
followed us still trying to make a last minute sale. The woman then pulls out
and ancient oil lamp and shows it to me. I immediately recognized it as being
Greek in origin by the sexually depicted engraving on its topside. I agreed to
purchase it and give the little girl a few American dollars for another
colorful stone.
One cannot see all that Petra has to offer in
just a four hour stay. Some day, I would like to revisit Petra and spend at least three days there
taking advantage of the available horses to see more of this magnificent
ancient city. Some of the other features that Petra offers are the Nymphaeum,
the Temple of Winged Lions, several Tricliniums, Roman soldier’s tomb, Garden
temple complex, Lion monument, a Roman Theatre and so much more. There are 34
sites in all. From inside the city looking through the valley and outer Ciq you
can see Mt. Seir
(Genesis 36:8) whose highest point is Mt.
Hor, the burial place of Aaron, the brother of Moses (Numbers 20:28).
Petra
is located in the land
of Edom and is where Esau
went to dwell. Genesis 36:6-8 “And
Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of
his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he
had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his
brother Jacob. For their riches were
more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were
strangers could not bear them because of their cattle. Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir:
Esau is Edom.”
Numbers 20:22-28 “And
the children of Israel, even
the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh, and came unto mount Hor.
And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land
of Edom, saying, Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not
enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye
rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring
them up unto mount
Hor: And strip Aaron of
his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son: and Aaron shall be gathered
unto his people, and shall die there. And Moses did as the LORD commanded: and
they went up into mount
Hor in the sight of the
entire congregation. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them
upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses
and Eleazar came down from the mount.”
Petra
and Edom
is a place so rich in history dating back thousands of years. This was that
part of the wilderness where Moses had journeyed with the tribes of Israel while
wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. This is where the Nabataean culture
thrived for so long and the place where a major trade route was established
between Asia and the Middle East; a must see for anyone desiring to tour Israel
and Jordan.
It is largely believed by many
eschatologists and well studied Christians that Petra
will be the likely place where many Jews will flee during the Great
Tribulation because of the many caves and natural protection that the
mountains in Petra
provide. Scripture indicates clearly that they will flee into the wilderness
and many will hide in caves and the mountain sides. Located close to the
western boarder (termed coasts in scripture) with Israel it is reasonable to envision this
prophetic event taking place right here where so much of Israel’s history began.
Crunched for time, we hurriedly
boarded our bus and headed southward through the ancient land of Esau
and the Edomites on our way to Wadi Rumm.
Wadi
Rumm
Wadi Rumm is an area in the south
part of Jordan that Moses
led Israel through as they
escaped Egypt,
a land of bright red, yellow and purple desert dunes and huge brightly colored
naturally formed sandstone monoliths. This particular area is noted for being
the place where the movie, Lawrence of
Arabia was filmed. While traveling southward through Edom an intense
argument developed over the cell phone between our Jordanian tour guide, a
Bedouin and the contact that was to supply us with modern SUV’s for our trek
into the Wadi Rumm Reserve. Evidently, the old jeeps we had taken out to the
reserve in 2006 were unreliable and noted for breaking down and Pastor Noah
Hutchings did not want to risk using them again. The company that agreed to
supply us with the newer SUV’s rescinded the offer after learning we had too
many people in our group so we had to change our itinerary a bit and decided to
visit a modern Bedouin style tourist camp instead and rested while enjoying
complimentary Bedouin tea and sweet treats.
While there I was able to get
some pictures of the Wadi Rumm landscape and witness an ancient tradition of
cooking fowl and lamb in a covered earthen pit. A pit is dug to accommodate the
size of the animal you desire to cook and tree limbs are added vertically in
the pit and set on fire. After the wood has burned a while forming coals and
burning embers at the bottom of the pit the game is skewered on a wooden pole
and dropped into the pit and then covered with more wood and then earth on top.
This method makes for an efficient oven and when the game is fully cooked, it
is removed and taken to the banquet table for dining patrons.
This facility had approximately
50 or 60 tents set up for traveling tourists to use for overnight stays. From
the outside they appeared like any modern tent but walking inside one of them
made you take a second glance outside. The interior of these tents is spacious
and were nicely furnished with couches and pillows and bedding. The sandy
desert floor was covered with Arabian style carpet and at the back end of each
tent was an amazing bathroom facility complete with tile floor, sink & running
water, toilet and shower. When you exited the tent you can’t help but wonder
how the interior of these abodes was seemingly so large and complete with
amenities.
Had we made it out to the
interior of Wadi Rumm, we would have been treated to a more primitive Bedouin
setting near a rocky cleft where ancient Nabataean hieroglyphics can still be
seen. On the 2006 tour we walked across a large expanse of red desert sand
dunes to another beautiful red, yellow and purple sandstone outcropping with
high clefts splitting the monolithic structure in two and red sand on the
desert floor. The sand was difficult to walk in with shoes so I took mine off
and went barefoot. I was delighted to do so as the red sand felt wonderful
between my toes and on the souls of my feet. Then someone mentioned something
about sand scorpions and the like and I reluctantly put my shoes back on. This
was the actual site where the Lawrence of
Arabia film was made. It is stunning as a desert landscape and the stars at
night are the brightest anywhere in the world making you think that you could
touch the Milky Way with your finger tips. It’s no wonder that earlier
civilizations were prone to worshipping God’s creation rather than the Creator
Himself. The visualization and the sights are breathtaking indeed!
Entering
Israel
As the sun was lowering on the
horizon we set off for Aqaba the last city in Jordan
we would see before entering Israel.
Aqaba is a bustling port town located adjacent to Eilat in Israel at the northern tip of the Red Sea. We stopped briefly at a seaside park where the
tallest flag mast on earth is located hosting of course the Jordanian colors.
From this vantage point you can see Eilat and all its beautiful allure as the
sun began to set.
Arriving at the border we were
required to disembark our bus and walk with our entire luggage in hand. Before
you can proceed to the Israeli side of the border you must first be checked out
on the Jordanian side, surrendering your passports for a final exit visa. Upon
crossing over to the Israeli side we had to go through check in again having
our passports stamped and luggage scanned. Of course my beard has always been a
curiosity to Israeli security as it makes me look like a potential Taliban
terrorist and I go through more scrutiny than your average American. Satisfied
that I was not a terrorist or carrying any contraband into the country we
boarded our Israeli bus and met Hela, our Christian Israeli tour guide. We
arrived at our Hotel in Eilat at dusk and were entreated to a complimentary
beverage before heading to our rooms for refreshing showers and then a
wonderful dinner afterwards.
After dinner I wanted to take
Renee on a walk downtown along the waterfront as this is a delightful bustling
tourist city with many shops, malls and pubs along the seashore. The town was
filled with tourists from all around the world, everyone speaking in their own
tongue and spending money like there was no tomorrow. We window shopped and
decided to pull up a seat at a little seaside pub called the Three Monkeys. Renee ordered a coconut
flavored drink and I had a glass of wine. We reminisced over our journey thus
far and it honestly felt like we had already been on tour over a week because
we had taken in and seen so much already. Before going back to the Hotel we
stopped in one of the shops and I purchased a couple bottles of Israeli red
wine to take with us for our venture north. Israeli wines are quite exceptional
and make for a relaxing evening after an aggressive day of touring walking
miles through ancient cities of biblical significance.
Before retiring that evening I
turned on CNN International and heard Barack Obama come out in one of his many
press conferences and make a statement in support of a Palestinian State.
Not good news for Israel.
More on that later in this series.
END
Part One
With all Sincerity and love for the truth and my scattered
brethren abroad,
Nicholas A. Stivers – a God-fearing disciple, scribe and
messenger
http://nicholas-scrolls.com
http://cephasministry.com