This morning we grabbed breakfast and headed out to our trusted bus. The first stop was decidedly controversial. In the last ~15 years, new artifacts have been uncovered pointing to the Baptismal Site (where John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ) being in a new site. Not only does this ruffle feathers because it means the site is moved, it also means that the baptism would have occurred in what is now Jordan, instead of Israel. Armed military persons were present on both sides of the Jordan River to remind visitors to stay on their respective sides.
We were also lucky enough to eat some locust leaves, which may have been referenced in the Bible as what John the Baptist ate (honey and locust). It was surprising--at least for me--that locust could be a type of plant! I always assumed it was an animal, like a grasshopper. The taste was not bad, but was on the salty side. Next, our bus took us to the top of Mount Nebo--the site where Moses saw the Promised Land before he died. Unfortunately due to massive amounts of construction (for the past several years) some parts of the monument were closed. However, the excavations have uncovered significant remains of the early church. We were able to clearly see the Brazen Serpentine Cross, however the rest of the view outwards was hazy. On the way into Madaba, we stopped at a mosaic workshop. This place was set up by Queen Noor to help create viable paying jobs for women and disabled persons in the country. We watched as these local Jordanians constructed stunning mosaics and wood pieces by hand. For the Mosaics, the artists begin with thin strips of local rocks and break them into tiny pieces. These pieces are placed into intricate patterns by hand. It was incredible to be able to purchase pieces there and meet the artists who created them. As Rain pointed out, whenever we see mosaics now we have a better understanding of the time and work invested in them! We then stopped at a Greek Orthodox Church which houses the oldest known mosiac map of the land (in Madaba). Sadly several large sections of the map were destroyed by natural causes and unfortunately humans, however portions of the map could still be seen today. In its original state, it is thought to have contained nearly 2 MILLION stone pieces. In the same place, J read from a guide about a painting of the Virgin Mary and Christ child that mysteriously gained a third blue hand after a service one day. Extremely curious, we found this strange Smurf hand on the painting....It would have been really difficult to miss if originally in the painting, but who knows... Our day ended by getting special "beach shoes"and heading to the Dead Sea. We slathered ourselves in thick Dead Sea mud, impatiently waiting for it to dry before getting into the water. It was slightly eerie, slightly impossible feeling to be suspended entirely by salinity. To give perspective, the Pacific Ocean has ~3% salinity content vs. the Dead Seat at ~32%! Word to the wise, don't open your mouth while floating!! Unfortunately due to massive siphoning of the Jordan River (the main source into the Dead Sea), the Dead Sea is actually losing roughly 1 meter per year..... Dinner was at a favorite Italian restaurant of our group leader's before dropping off to sleep. Tomorrow mark home for two of our group members, while the rest of us will cross the border into Israel!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorTeacher by year, traveler by summer. ArchivesCategories |