Day 3: Because we arrived when it was already dark, we had no idea of the views that awaited us outside our hotel rooms. The mountains of Petra were absolutely spectacular—an enormous range of red rock mountains that seemed to outlast the horizon. At the peak of the highest summit, off in the distance, we could see the outline of the white mosque that was built over what is believed to be the grave of Aaron, brother of Moses. Petra is located in the south of Jordan and believed to be very near the route that Moses and the Israelites took during their pilgrimage to the Promised Land.
We ate breakfast at the hotel and then drove a few miles to the entrance of the ancient city of Petra, built some 2000 years ago by the Nabateans, literally carved into the rose red sandstone common to this area. For those of you who are fans of the Indiana Jones films, Petra was made even more famous after scenes of it were included in “The Last Crusade”, the third film in the series. In order to arrive at the actual ancient city of Petra, we had to walk through a ‘siq’, a fissure in the sandstone between twenty and fifty feet wide at times. The walls of the sandstone bordered both sides of our path and rose up hundreds of feet at times. This is one of the reasons why Petra was believed to have been easily protected and to have remained hidden for so many years.
At one point, we paused along the one mile trail and sang a chorus of ‘Amazing Grace’ (led by Nicole Gillette) and the acoustics of the siq made the singing sound absolutely beautiful. Finally, we arrived at the heart of Petra and were able to explore the magnificence of these ruins. The Nabateans carved some of these structures right into the sandstone and they have been unbelievably preserved. We were all so excited to see what must be one of the most fascinating and well preserved sites of antiquity on the planet! Some folks in our group were even able to ride camels around the city (Katie, Spike, Becky, Neil and Brenda) and Mark even got an offer of two camels and several donkeys in exchange for Becky. He decided to hold out for a better deal…
After lunch, we drove to Amman (about four hours to the north) and settled into our hotel. Amman is the capital of Jordan and equipped with all the modern conveniences, including Starbuck’s and Pizza Hut (we didn’t visit either!). We concluded the evening by meeting together as a large group in a conference area and introducing ourselves to one another and how we ended up on this trip. It was so encouraging to hear the stories of so many disciples speak of their deep appreciation for being here and their gratitude to the Lord for his kindness in providing this opportunity. Tomorrow, we conclude our time in Jordan and return to Israel. As we prepare to leave this country, Earle reminded us that many scholars believe that Petra will become a stronghold for the faithful during the end times ‘Tribulation’ and that Petra will hold significance for Christ and his return. May the Lord continue to establish among us a faithful people, ready and waiting for his return as we humbly follow and serve him each day…
We ate breakfast at the hotel and then drove a few miles to the entrance of the ancient city of Petra, built some 2000 years ago by the Nabateans, literally carved into the rose red sandstone common to this area. For those of you who are fans of the Indiana Jones films, Petra was made even more famous after scenes of it were included in “The Last Crusade”, the third film in the series. In order to arrive at the actual ancient city of Petra, we had to walk through a ‘siq’, a fissure in the sandstone between twenty and fifty feet wide at times. The walls of the sandstone bordered both sides of our path and rose up hundreds of feet at times. This is one of the reasons why Petra was believed to have been easily protected and to have remained hidden for so many years.
At one point, we paused along the one mile trail and sang a chorus of ‘Amazing Grace’ (led by Nicole Gillette) and the acoustics of the siq made the singing sound absolutely beautiful. Finally, we arrived at the heart of Petra and were able to explore the magnificence of these ruins. The Nabateans carved some of these structures right into the sandstone and they have been unbelievably preserved. We were all so excited to see what must be one of the most fascinating and well preserved sites of antiquity on the planet! Some folks in our group were even able to ride camels around the city (Katie, Spike, Becky, Neil and Brenda) and Mark even got an offer of two camels and several donkeys in exchange for Becky. He decided to hold out for a better deal…
After lunch, we drove to Amman (about four hours to the north) and settled into our hotel. Amman is the capital of Jordan and equipped with all the modern conveniences, including Starbuck’s and Pizza Hut (we didn’t visit either!). We concluded the evening by meeting together as a large group in a conference area and introducing ourselves to one another and how we ended up on this trip. It was so encouraging to hear the stories of so many disciples speak of their deep appreciation for being here and their gratitude to the Lord for his kindness in providing this opportunity. Tomorrow, we conclude our time in Jordan and return to Israel. As we prepare to leave this country, Earle reminded us that many scholars believe that Petra will become a stronghold for the faithful during the end times ‘Tribulation’ and that Petra will hold significance for Christ and his return. May the Lord continue to establish among us a faithful people, ready and waiting for his return as we humbly follow and serve him each day…
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