Mount Nebo and Madaba

Mount Nebo is located about 45 min to the South-West of Amman.

It is supposedly where, after leading the Jews out of Egypt, Moses saw the Promised Land that he would never set foot in. He died soon afterwards & is supposedly buried on Mount Nebo.

The day we arrived there, it was quite hazy & we couldn’t see the Promised Land.

At the top of the mountain, you will find the remains of a 4^th Century church/monastery. That area was being renovated so we never got to see inside. They did have examples of some of the mosaics which were great to look at.

We then drove to Madaba. It’s called the “City of Mosaics”. The mosaics date back to around the 5^th or 6^th Century. They were only found (by chance) at the end of the 19^th Century & the steps began to preserve them.

The most famous of these mosaics is the “Madaba Map” located in the Basilica of St George. The reason it’s famous is that it depicts the hills and valleys, villages and towns in Palestine and the Nile Delta.

One section depicts Jerusalem which was important to scholars who, until its discovery, had no real idea about the layout of Jerusalem after its destruction in 70 AD.  

 

The Roman Road

Jerusalem on the Madaba Map

An overview of the complete Madaba Map

A better view of Jerusalem