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Published: January 6th 2010
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Bethany on the Jordan
The Jordan River has dried up on the actual spot of the baptism, now churches stand on the spot. Jordan & Jerusalem Nov. 24 - 30, 2009
After spending a few days in the city of Amman, we hired a cab for the day and took a drive that would begin our journey through the the Holy Land, the places that we had heard about in the bible since childhood. Just outside of Amman lies Mt. Nebo, our first stop. This is the place where Moses is said to have climbed and taken his last breath. He is thought to be buried on the hill, but his body has never been found. From the top of this small peak, you can see the Dead Sea, the town of Jericho in Palestine and on a clear day as far as Jerusalem. You can also see our next stop, the Jordan River, which is where Jesus was baptized. Bethany on the Jordan is believed to be the actual spot where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. The river has dried up in the spot and since the 1994 peace treaty, there have been archaeological excavations which uncovered the remains of long lost churches. From the baptism site you can also see across the border to the hill where Jesus is believed to
Jerusalem Sunset
As seen from the Mount of Olives. have fasted for 40 days and nights.
After going back to Amman for a night, we decided to go see one of the main things that we came to see in the Middle East. We took a taxi to the King Hussein bridge and crossed over the border to Jerusalem. Arriving at Damascus gate in the old town was a check off the "Things to do in Life" list. As we were only here for a few days, we wasted no time in heading inside the city walls to begin exploring. The amazing thing about this city is that because it is so small, almost everywhere you go has some significance in biblical terms. Within 10 minutes and without realizing it at first, we were standing on the Via Delarosa, the Way of Sorrows. The traditional route taken by Jesus as he carried the cross to his death. I had seen the stations of the cross recreated every year at Easter in church, but now I was at the actual place where it happened. Pretty sobering thought.
Before long, as we walked the market streets we came across the Church of the Holy Seplcure. Entering this place for
the first time (and every other time that we did) was quite a surreal experience. Its difficult to explain, but as soon as you step in, there is a feeling of a power bigger then you inside the Church. The place is actually 5 churches, all built on the very spot where Jesus was crucified, taken down from the cross and buried in his tomb. It is full of pilgrims from all different countries at any given time. After a short wait, we even had the opportunity to enter the tomb of Christ.
In the city of Jerusalem, we also got to see the room of the Last Supper and the prison where Jesus was held along with Barabus before his crucifixion. Heading out of the Old city walls, we made our way to the base of the Mount of Olives. Here lies the tomb of the Virgin Mary, probably the second most visited site in the City. Even in November, the place is full of pilgrims so it is hard to see and actually take a moment to appreciate where you are. We then climbed the mount which offers an amazing view of the city. It is also
Crucifiction of Jesus
The 12th station of the cross, you can see the hole in the rock where the cross of Jesus stood. the place where the Asuncion Temple stands. After his resurrection, this is where Jesus was believed to ascended into heaven.
On our third day in Palestine we took a short bus ride to the town of Bethlehem, birth place of Jesus. Bethlehem nowadays is more like a suburb of Jerusalem, just outside the city center. Getting off the bus, it's a short walk uphill to the Church of Nativity. We ended up taking a guided tour through the church with a tour guide who was all too eager to get rid of us and go on to his next customers, at the very least a funny experience. The only benefit of taking the tour was skipping the really long line up to see the manger where it is said that Jesus was born and the three wise men brought him gifts. Another story that we heard every Christmas, now experienced in person. I would have thought visiting the birthplace of Jesus would have been a quiet and spiritual experience. Little did we know that another tourguide was hearding people through at the very moment we arrived. Each person had less then a second to absorb where they were before
The Manger of Jesus
The actual place where the three wisemen delivered their gifts. they were ushered back to the main church. The tour guide shouting "move along sister, you have been blessed" or "time is up, Jesus has blessed you" will forever ring in my ears when I think of the Church of Nativity. As we walked back to the bus stop, we were greeted with smiling children and adults shouting "welcome to Bethlehem!" Walking the streets of Bethlehem and talking to the kind Palestinian people was definitely the highlight of our visit.
After walking the footsteps of Jesus in one of the holiest cities in the world, we were heading back to experience the rest of Jordan. Including Petra, one of the sites we have been eagerly awaiting since we left on our journey.
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