Franciscan Church atop Mt. Nebo - via Wikipedia

Me personally, I enjoyed my visits to Mount Nebo especially the latter.

There was no haze that evening and from this 3300 ft. elevation located just 6 miles north west of Madaba, giving me an opportunity to look out onto “Gilead, as far as Dan,” and seeing for miles what Moses was recorded seeing in Deuteronomy 34:1.

I also marveled at the magnificent series of Byzantine mosaics that adorned the now Franciscan church atop Mt. Nebo … the largest being some 10 yards in length.

That reminds me to get those pix and videos online … so little time …

… speaking of time … my aggregator brought my attention to a book entitled “Temple at the Center of Time: Newton’s Bible Codex Deciphered and the Year 2012.”

A ‘best-selling prophecy book‘ that asserts that via author David Flynn’s studies of the Temple Mount, the Ark will can be found at Mount Nebo in Jordan.

Just as a quick catch-up, Mt. Nebo, a.k.a. Jebel Musa and/or Fasaliyyeh, had like many sites of pilgrimage in early Christendom, a sanctuary was built to commemorate the Biblical history associated with the location. We know that Lady Egeria (Aetheria) visited the site in 394 AD.

We know that from Greek inscriptions on the mosaics, we know the name of the mosaicists, Soel, Kaium, and Elias, and the name of the Bishop of Madaba, Elias – both dating back to 532 AD. That later in the 6th century, it appears the structure was significantly expanded. Records indicate that the site was still active in the 13th century, but then found abandoned by a Portuguese Franciscan monk whom visited the site 1564.

Many of these discoveries the result of an that a handful of experts from the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum whom were given stewardship of the site back in 1932. It was these Franciscans who discovered the mosaic of the Old Baptistery Chapel in the Memorial Church of Moses at Mount Nebo back in August of 1976. Since that discovery, an annual feast of Moses is celebrated on September 4, 1976 where the Christian community join with the Franciscan Fathers in this solemnity.

In 1993, the site was purchased outright by the Franciscans, who further excavated and restored the area. Work was completed in time for Pope John Paul II’s visit on March 19, 2000, where he planted an olive tree next to the Byzantine chapel.

Along with the many mosaics discovered, six tombs have been found hollowed from the natural rock beneath the mosaic-covered floor of the church.

Perhaps this is these discoveries, along with some Millennium inspired Internet chatter, that inspired David Flynn’s findings. I’m not sure, but either way, there’s quite a bit more written about the book over at WorldNetDaily - a good source for political punditry – though this writer isn’t so sure about their archaeological chops.

Whether or not the Temple Mount points to location of lost Ark, is the location of the Ark, is where the Ark once rested, etc … my recommendation is to visit Jordan for yourself, enjoy some shopping, mezza, and mosaics in Madaba … then trek on up to Mt.Nebo to see the sun set.

Just make sure to bring your filters for your camera lens, because while you may not find the resting place of the lost Ark of the Covenant up there, you will enjoy a spectacular panorama of the promised land, moving mosaics, and a chance to take photos of this beautiful place of Biblical antiquity … before it is dug-up crazy by Ark seekers.

Now located on the border of Jordan and Israel, we lost quite a bit of daylight before being allowed down by the river because the soldiers whose job it was to escort us did not have a direct command from their lieutenant, even though the general in charge of the area had already given the green light. It sounds dicey, but actually it is how peace and harmony are ensured.

Geopolitics aside, in the background of the following video, one can see the green glade that surrounds this river – which in 2007 – is more like an oily stream as you’ll see:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejd0N0SRqug&autoplay=0 425 350]

Even in it’s diminished state, one is still humbled by the significant history of the location – an emotional state that is nudged along that way by the numerous Byzantine churches whose remnants are currently under various states excavation. In fact, he Jordanian Department of Antiquities has now identified nearly 20 related sites within an area stretching some 3 km east of the Jordan River.

The site of Bethany beyond the Jordan has also been known by other names over the past 2000 years, including Beth-Abara of Bethabara, Beit el-Obour (`house of the crossing` in Arabic), Beit `Anya, Bethania , Bethennabris,`Ainon where now Saphsaphas`( on the sixth century Byzantine Madaba mosaic map of Holy Land), Saphsas or Sapsas, and perhaps also Beth-Barah (Judges 7:24-25)^[1].

The Byzantine writers Jerome and Eusebius mentioned `Bethabara beyond the Jordan` in the fourth century as a pilgrimage destination where people went to be baptized. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, is to have crossed the Jordan River and visited the cave where John the Baptist lived, and built a church there to commemorate him.

Helena also visited the nearby (adjacent) Elijah’s hill – which for anyone who remembers the prophet’s encounter with God in 1 Kings 19:9-15, or for that matter my March 2004 recollections of this site – reminds one that God does not always speak to us in the tumult of fire or wind, but in those quiet moments in the glade where quiet waters flow:

God is my shepherd,
I want for nothing.
My rest is in the pleasant meadows.
He leadeth me where quiet waters flow.
My fainting soul doth He restore
and guideth me in the ways of peace,
to glorify His name.
And though in death’s dark valley
my steps must wander,
my spirit shall not fear
for Thou are by me still.
Thy rod and staff are with me,
and they shall comfort me.

Text of Psalm 23 from Antonín Dvorák 10 Biblical Songs

Dating as far back as the Middle Bronze Age (c.2000-1600 BCE^[1]), the Bible refers to regions in Jordan such as:

• the hill country of Gilead in the north,
• the plains of Moab in center, and
• the priests of Midian in the south.

Included in these regions are the Biblical cities and villages of:

• Sodom,
• Gomorrah,
• Heshbon,
• Succoth,
• Zaphon, and
• Zoar.

The Israelites were recorded in Exodus to have wandered for 40 years through the southern regions of Jordan (c.1250 BCE^[2]). A journey that brought them into contact, and in some cases confrontation, with the at least three of the 7 nations of Canaan; including the:

• Edomites
• Moabites, and
• Ammonites

Conflicts and encounters with these cultures continued through the early Iron Age (c.1200-1000 BCE^[3]) marked by David’s conquest of these nations, including the dramatic capture of Rabbath Ammon or Rabbah that cost Uriah his life and his wife.

With the dawn of the second Iron Age (1000-539 BCE) came Solomon’s reign, whose massive wealth was supported in part by the copper mines of Wadi Arabah, near the port city Aqaba, known then as Ezion-geber. A few hundred years later King Amaziah captured Sela – now modern day Petra – on behalf of a divided kingdom; a period of time that also saw Elijah called to Heaven from the eastern banks of the Jordan river.

A few hundred years later, the entire region was reunited through the conquest of the Assyrians under Adanirari III and later Itglath-pileser III, both whom allowed the kingdoms of Ammon, Moab, and Edom retained their independence for the price of tribute^[4].

With the turn of the 6th Century BC, came the Babylonian Empire under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar – a tumultuous time frame in which the Nabataeans took advantage of the confusion to infiltrate Edom, forcing the Edomites into the area of southern Palestine known as Idumaea^[5].

While Cyris II of Persia brought an end to this disruptive era in 539 BCE, history still records conflicts between the Moabites and Ammonites – whom under the leadership of Tobiah, eventually put aside their differences to campaign unsuccessfully against resettled Jews under the protection of Darius I of Persia (522-486 BCE).

In fact it was not until the Hellenistic rule of the Selucids and Ptolemies that a short-lived stability came back to the Jordanian region, with Rabbath Ammon renamed Philadelphia, and Jarash Antioch-on-the-Chrysorrhoas, or Gerasa. The Nabateans again extending their kingdom northward when the Seleucids and Ptolemies engaged in civil conflict.

Eventually Rome stepped in under Pompey (64-63 BCE), establishing the league of 10 cities referred in the Gospels of Christ as the region of the Decapolis, that included the following Jordanian cities of:

• Gerasa, modern day Jerash
• Philadelphia, modern day Amman, the capital of Jordan
• Gadara, modern day Umm Qays or Umm Qais
• Pella, now Tabaqat Fahl
• Arbila, modern day Irbid

Subsequent to this, the Nabatean kingdom was eventually absorbed into the Roman Empire as was the rest of Jordan up until the Byzantine Empire helped bring about the early foundations of the Christian church starting in 313 AD – this last period punctuated with establishment of several churches whose remnants are now archaeological findings that dot the modern day country of Jordan; many built onBiblically significant sites such as:

• Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John Baptized Jesus;
• Mount Nebo – where Moses is laid to rest after seeing the promised land;
• Machaerus – where John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded;
• Madaba – whose 5th century mosaic floor offers a map of Biblical Jordan; and
• Gadara (Umm Qais ) – where Jesus cast out the demons into a herd of swine;

Hence the reason Jordan is sometimes referred to as “the other Holy Land” – and why, as of today, we’re launching the new category of ‘Biblical Jordan’ on both this blog and its associated Wiki …

… and an interactive map I just posted …

… and perhaps why you need to talk to your Church about a Biblical pilgrimage there?-)