Jordan River, Dead Sea, Mt. Nebo, & Madaba

Thursday, June 16, 2011
by Jeff and Rebekah Plowman

Our guide at the Baptism site

The Baptism Site

We began the day in "Bethany Beyond the Jordan", not the Bethany of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, but an unsettled area across the Jordan River from Jericho, where John the Baptist preached repentence and eventually baptized Jesus.  A funny thing about rivers, even sacred ones---they don't stay in the same course forever.  As a result, there has been uncertainty over the exact location of the baptism site.  Recent archeology has uncovered the pillars of a cruciform (cross-shaped) baptismal site visited by early Christian pilgrims.  The river was low because it is summer, so only a pool of water was visible, but the pillars were clearly showing, along with steps leading down to the water.  The day was hot (100 degrees F) and our walk to the site was not short, but as the guide showed us the baptismal site and began to speak, a cooling breeze came to refresh us.  Coincidence?  We think not.

Enjoying the Dead Sea

We went from the baptismal site to the Dead Sea, which is the lowest point on Earth.  The salt content in the water of the Dead Sea is so high that animal and plant life cannot be sustained, nor, apparently, can a boat.  Not a boat was seen the entire time we were there.  Many of us swam (or should I say floated?) in the salt water.  The swimmers reported that the experience was painful to the eyes, but otherwise well worth it.  The rest of us sipped orange sodas and coffees from a high, shady veranda overlooking the waters.

From the Dead Sea, we traveled a winding road to Mount Nebo, where God showed Moses the Promised Land - the land of milk and honey.  The day was hazy and perhaps not the best viewing day, but Jeff commented that to our modern eyes it did not look like a very promising "Promised Land"---too much arid wasteland in the foreground, not so green a land as we ourselves enjoy in Georgia. But the story simply shows the faith of Moses and the Israelites to trust God's promises.

Jim & Flora share a devotion at the summit of Mt. Nebo

Finally, after a quick visit to a mosaic school near Mt. Nebo, we visited St. George's Church in Madaba where the oldest map of the Holy Land (4th Century) was recently uncovered (late 1800s).  The map was a ceramic mosaic installed on the Church floor. Following an earthquake which destroyed part of the mosaic, the Church fell into disrepair until, in the 1800s over 2000 Christians came to rebuild the Church.  During the rebuilding, pillars required to support the Church, destroyed even more of the map.  Even so, it was fascinating that much of the map was preserved even after 100s of years of nonuse.  Interestingly, this same map is part of the evidence that was used for locating the baptismal site.

It is hard to absorb in one day all that we have seen, but as we have heard from many who have come before us, once you visit the Holy Lands you are touched forever.  As we reflect on all that we have seen, I can't think of any statement more true.

Gwynn gets a faux tan with Dead Sea mud.

Dot captures a memory

St. George's