Mount Nebo, Jordan

9km away from Madaba, Mount Nebo is the place where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land, a land he was him-self forbidden to enter. In Christian and Jewish tradition, Moses was buried somewhere on Mount Nebo, but Muslims believe that his body was carried across the river and placed in a tomb now lying off the modern Jericho-Jerusalem highway. The site was visited by Pope John Paul in 2000 which made it flicker into the international spotlight. Mount Nebo overlooks the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

There are two peaks on Mt Nebo, Siyagha (Monastery in Aramaic) and Al Mukhayyat. During the sixth century, a Byzantine monastery was constructed at Siyagha. It was built on the foundations of an even earlier chapel, which was erected by monks from Egypt during the third or forth century to commemorate the final days of Moses' life. The mosaic of this period can be seen inside the modern-day shrine at the top of Siyagha. The main mosaic depicts the monastic pastime of wine-making, hunters and an assortment of animals.

The Serpentine Cross is outside the building. It represents the bronze serpent taken up by Moses in the desert, as well as the cross on which Jesus was crucified. The palace in the village of Nebo, now known as Khirbet Al Mukhayyat, was mentioned in the bible as well as on the Mesha Stele. Villagers constructed their own church dedicated to the saints Lot and Procopius. The floor was decorated with another rich carpet of mosaics which can be seen today.

Centuries ago, pilgrims flocked to Mount Nebo on their final destination to visit the sanctuary. These pilgrims left behind vivid accounts of their travels, which helped archaeologists identify this sanctuary.

A huge bronze memorial symbolizes the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross and the serpent that Moses lifted up.

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w2go, 2006-10-13 14:40:45