Michael and I were so excited to have his parents here and thrilled that Granny could come too. It was such a blessing that they were all able to come and we enjoyed the time and experiences we shared with them. I think they will agree that it was quite an unforgettable experience.
Day one of sight seeing:
No rest for the travelers! I got them up and shakin' early the morning after they arrived. First stop; Mount Nebo and the little town of Madaba close by. Here Moses was given a view of the Promised Land which he would never be allowed to enter. From the top of this mount, at 2680 feet above sea level, is a great panoramic view of Israel, a glimpse of the dead sea at 1388 feet below sea level, and the valley of the River Jordan. Many churches have been built there over time and one is currently under construction. Unfortunately, the most incredible mosaic is inside that church and even more unfortunate is how incredibly sluggish the work has gone on the church. But, the view is the best part anyway. Moses very well could have been on top the same mount and I wonder how he felt being shown all that land, knowing he'd never enter. On Wikipedia it says that the ark of the covenant could be hid in the mount as well. As I did some more searching I found this interesting passage from lds.org:
"Jewish traditions suggest that either Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the ark along with the temple in his conquest of Judah, or that before the destruction of the temple, Jeremiah, the prophet, hid the ark in the mount from where Moses had centuries before viewed the land of promise (Mt. Nebo), and there it was to remain until God gathered his people again. Its final end or even its possible existence today has not been revealed. Latter-day Saints do, however, sing of the ark in the sacramental hymn “I Stand All Amazed.” (Hymns, no. 80.) In the third stanza it states, “I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,” recognizing the ark as a memorial of the atonement of Jesus Christ."
Moses died here in the land of Moab. Deuteronomy 34 But no one knew where he was buried. Perhaps he was translated.
We had fun walking the streets of Madaba and haggling with the merchants.
In front of St George Church of the Map
Shops in Madaba
Mount Nebo
View of Jordan from Mount Nebo
The monument from when the pope visited Mount Nebo
On a clear day you can see all the way to Bethlehem and Jerusalem from the top of Nebo.
It is amazing that these mosaics last so many years.
The biggest tree in the middle is called the Spring of Moses and is believed to be the site where Moses struck the rock and water sprang forth. Unfortunately I was a wimp and didn't want to take our borrowed car down the steep dirt road.
Artists at work
"Draw!" she said.
We went to a mosaic workshop and they showed us how they made these masterpieces.
They use all natural, local stone.
Here is the tree of life. These mosaic tables are beautiful and those salesman sure work hard! Poor Granny and Janice didn't even get to see the whole store because the salesman was trying so relentlessly to get them to buy.
