Walk to Jerusalem Spring 2021 Week 7 March 15-21 We had another great week this week. We had 43 participants and walked 1391 miles! The map below shows our progress through the end of week seven (purple line). We reached Petra last week but didn’t have the time to do any exploration, so we began sightseeing in this ancient place.

Petra is a historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. Petra lies around Jabal Al-Madbah in a basin surrounded by mountains which form the eastern flank of the Arabah valley that runs from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. The area around Petra has been inhabited from as early as 7000 BC. However, archaeological work has only discovered evidence of human presence dating back to the second century BC. The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who invested in Petra's proximity to the trade routes by establishing it as a major regional trading hub. The trading business gained the Nabataeans considerable revenue and Petra became the focus of their wealth. The Nabataeans were accustomed to living in the barren deserts, unlike their enemies, and were able to repel attacks by taking advantage of the area's mountainous terrain. They were particularly skillful in harvesting rainwater, agriculture and stone carving. Petra flourished in the 1st century AD, when its famous Al- Khazneh structure, pictured above, – believed to be the mausoleum of Nabataean king Aretas IV – was constructed, and its population peaked at an estimated 20,000 inhabitants.

Notes: RED dot is location of Mt. Nebo Purple dot is Petra Black dot is site of Karak Castle

Although the Nabataean kingdom became a client state of the Roman Empire in the first century BC, it was only in 106 AD that it lost its independence. Petra fell to the Romans, who annexed Nabataea and renamed it as Arabia Petraea. Petra's importance declined as sea trade routes emerged, and after an earthquake in 363 destroyed many structures. In the Byzantine era several Christian churches were built, but the city continued to decline, and by the early Islamic era it was abandoned except for a handful of nomads. Access to the city is through a quarter mile gorge called the Siq (right), which leads directly to the Khazneh (left). Famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system, Petra is also called the "Rose City" because of the color of the stone from which it is carved. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. UNESCO has described Petra as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage". In 2007, Al-Khazneh was voted one of the New7Wonders of the World. Petra is a symbol of Jordan, as well as Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction. Visitor numbers reached a record-breaking 1.1 million tourists in 2019, marking the first time that the figure rose above the 1 million mark. The Jordanian government has authorized excavations in front of the treasury to make use of the site's emptiness. Ad Deir, also spelled ad-Dayr and el-Deir, is a monumental building carved out of rock in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra. The Deir (below left) was probably carved out of the rock in the mid-first century CE. Arguably one of the most iconic monuments in the Petra Archaeological Park, the Monastery is located high in the hills northwest of the Petra city center. It is the second most visited

monument in Petra, after the Khazneh or "Treasury". The huge facade, the inner chamber, and the other structures next to it or in the wider area around the Deir probably originally served a complex religious purpose and was possibly repurposed as a church in the Byzantine period. Next, we headed to the Dead Sea area to visit Al- Maghtas, which means "baptism" or "immersion" in Arabic. It is an archaeological World Heritage site in Jordan on the east bank of the Jordan River, officially known as Baptism Site "Bethany Beyond the Jordan" (Al-Maghtas). It is the original location of ministry of John the Baptist and the site of Jesus’ baptism. The site has been venerated as such since at least the Byzantine period. We next headed north to Tafilah. This town of just 30,000 people sits between Amman and Petra, and as such many people visiting Jordan pass by Tafilah but never stop. Very few even notice Tafilah on a map, never mind see what the town has to offer. An olive growing region, these ancient trees are rooted throughout and around the town and sprawled between them are fig trees and grape vines. It’s green and lush, and the people are friendly and welcoming. However, while this part of Jordan is pretty, it’s not the only thing it has on offer. We made a visit there to the hot springs. There aren’t just one or two hot springs here, but dozens in and around Tafilah. Set in the out-of-this-world Jordanian desert landscape, taking a dip in one is a once in a lifetime experience! The hot springs have created several small waterfalls, and it’s in the areas at the bottom of these waterfalls – where natural swimming pools have been created – that people congregate. The hot springs in Tafliah have been used since ancient times for the purpose of health treatment, and their use as healing water dates to the time of the Romans. In the 21st century people still flock here to bathe in the mineral waters. In particular. the hot springs in the area are said to have unique therapeutic properties that can help in the treatment of infertility, arteriosclerosis, anemia, rheumatism, and other chronic diseases. But be careful, they can be around 122 degrees Fahrenheit! (most of our household water heaters are set to 120 degrees Fahrenheit for comparison). A picture of one of the springs is left. After all our walking on this trip, the hot springs were very soothing! Next, we went to the village of Dana (pictured below) which sits on the edge – and it really is the edge – of Wadi Dana, a HUGE valley and nature reserve. Not only is the valley beautiful, unspoiled, and packed with incredible hikes and wildlife, Dana is centuries old and is barely changed from what it looked like 500 years ago. The winding roads have tightly packed houses flanking the sides of them, and at the edge of the village we looked down on the valley floor below as it stretched in front of us for miles. We stayed the night here and the sky was clear with a tapestry of stars. The next morning, we headed north of Tafilah to explore some local castles.

Dana Village Sela’ Castle, pictured below, is one of them, a crumbling but atmospheric castle built into the dusty desert landscape. We took the stone steps up towards Sela’ and saw no one else there. While this castle is not grand like Karak which will be our next stop, it has few visitors so we could wander without interrupting other visitors. A second castle, the castle fortress of Hassa, was impressive and important architectural building that is also virtually unknown to most tourists. However, the beauty of both castles is not just in their design, the fact they remain standing, or their age. It’s in the fact we could visit them, walk inside them, and experience this incredible piece of Jordanian history and be one of very few people to do so. That was special. Jordan is full of centuries-old desert castles like this one below! What intrigues me about this castle is that it seemed to be an isolated building with nothing else around it but maybe the remnants of other buildings have disappeared over time. Then we continued traveling north until we reached Karak Castle built by the Crusaders, and later expanded under the Muslim Ayyubids and Mamluks. Karak Castle located in al-Karak, Jordan is one of the largest crusader castles in the Levant area in the Middle East. Construction of the castle began in the 1140s. The Crusaders called it Crac des Moabites or "Karak in Moab", as it is referred to in history books. Palace area, left. While it is referred to as a crusader castle, the original castle was around since

antiquity, when the castle was a prominent Arab place, and main settlement; several Nabataean reliefs and sculptures have survived since that period. The city became a regional center in Roman Arabia under the name Characmoba, and a diocesan town during the Byzantine period. It is featured as a walled city on the Madaba mosaic map. Pictured right is the enormous north wall protecting the castle. Because of its position east of the Dead Sea, Karak Castle was able to control Bedouin herders as well as the trade routes from Damascus to Egypt and Mecca. Philip of Milly, added towers and protected the north and south sides with two deep rock-cut ditches (the southern ditch also serving as a cistern). The most notable Crusader architectural feature surviving is the north wall, into which are built immense arched halls on two levels. These were used for living quarters and stables, but also served as a fighting gallery overlooking the castle approach and for shelter against missiles from siege engines. Continuing our pilgrimage, we headed to Mt. Nebo, pictured below. Mount Nebo is an elevated ridge of the Abarim in Jordan, approximately 710 meters above sea level. It is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land. The view from the summit provides a panorama of the land and, to the north, a more limited one of the Valley of the River Jordan. The West Bank city of Jericho is usually visible from the summit, as is Jerusalem on a clear day. Because we were there on a clear day, we

were able to identify both Jericho and Jerusalem using the sighting guide shown in the picture right! According to the final chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses ascended Mount Nebo to view the Land of Israel, which God had said he would not enter, and to die there; he was buried in an unknown valley location in Moab. According to Christian tradition, Moses was buried on the mountain, although his place of burial is not specified (Deuteronomy 34:6). Scholars continue to dispute whether the mountain currently known as Nebo is the same as the mountain referred to in Deuteronomy. According to 2 Maccabees, (2:4–7), the prophet Jeremiah hid the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant in a cave there. nationalism, Arab and Palestinian nationalist sentiment continue to influence Nazareth's political life. As a symbol of peace. Pope Benedict XVI visited the site in 2009, gave a speech, and looked out from the top of the mountain in the direction of Jerusalem. After visiting Mt. Nebo, we headed east a bit to visit the capital city of Jordan. Amman is the largest city of Jordan and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,007,526, Amman is the largest city in the Levant region and the sixth-largest city in the Arab world.

Amman cityscape The earliest evidence of settlement in Amman is in a Neolithic site known as 'Ain Ghazal, where some of the oldest human statues ever found dating to 7250 BC were uncovered. It was named Philadelphia during its Greek and Roman periods and was finally called Amman during the Islamic period. Afterwards, Amman was a largely abandoned site until the late 19th century when Circassian immigrants were settled there by the Ottoman Empire in 1878. The first municipal council was established in 1909.] Amman witnessed rapid growth after its designation as Transjordan's capital in 1921, and after several successive waves of refugees: Palestinians in 1948 and 1967; Iraqis in 1990 and 2003; and Syrians since 2011. Amman has a relatively fast growing economy, and it is ranked as a Beta− global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. The city is among the most popular locations in the Arab world for multinational corporations to set up their regional offices. We headed first to visit Our Lady of the Annunciation Church. or simply Church of Jabal Webdeh. The parish is Roman rite, under the jurisdiction of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The church is shown left. After praying, we set out to explore the city. We visited the Jordan Museum and saw the 'Ain Ghazal Statues on display dating back to 7250 BC. They are among the oldest human statues ever found. in 1974 as construction workers were working on a road crossing the area. By 1982, when the excavations started, around 2,000 feet of road ran through the site. Despite the damage brought by urban expansion, the remains of 'Ain Ghazal provided a wealth of information. These statues are human figures made with white plaster, with painted clothes, hair, and in some cases ornamental tattoos. Thirty-two figures were found in two caches, fifteen of them full figures, fifteen busts, and two fragmentary heads. Three of the busts were two-headed (see photo above), the significance of which is not clear. Excavations by archaeologists near Amman Civil Airport uncovered a temple, which included an altar containing many human bone fragments. The bones showed evidence of burning, which led to the assumption that the altar functioned as a pyre. Today, several ruins across Amman exist, such as Qasr Al-Abd (left), Rujm Al-Malfouf (right), and some parts of the Amman Citadel. The ruins of Rujm Al-Malfouf, built around 1000BC, consist of a stone watchtower used to ensure protection of their capital and several storerooms to the east. The city was later conquered by the Assyrian Empire, followed by the Persian Empire. Conquest of the Middle East and Central Asia by Alexander the Great firmly consolidated the influence of Hellenistic culture. The Greeks founded new cities in the area of modern-day Jordan, including Umm Qays, Jerash and Amman. Ptolemy II Philadelphus, the Macedonian ruler of Egypt, who occupied and rebuilt the city, named it "Philadelphia", evoking "brotherly love" in Greek. The name was given as an adulation to his own nickname, Philadelphus. The Romans conquered much of the Levant in 63 BC, inaugurating a period of Roman rule that lasted for four centuries. In the northern modern-day Jordan, the Greek cities of Philadelphia (Amman), Gerasa, Gedara, Pella and Arbila joined with other cities in Palestine and Syria; Scythopolis, Hippos, Capitolias, Canatha and Damascus to form the Decapolis League, a fabled confederation linked by bonds of economic and cultural interest. Philadelphia became a point along a road stretching from Ailah to Damascus that was built by Emperor Trajan in 106 AD. This provided an economic boost for the city in a short period of time. During the late Byzantine era in the seventh century, several bishops and churches were based in the city. Roman rule in Jordan left several ruins across the country, some of which exist in Amman, such as the Temple of Hercules (left) at the Amman Citadel, the Roman Theater (above left), the Odeon, and the Nymphaeum. The two theaters and the Nymphaeum fountain were built during the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius around AD 161. The theater was the larger venue of the two and had a capacity for 6,000 attendees. It was oriented north and built into the hillside, to protect the audience from the sun. The Umayyad Palace on top of the Amman Citadel built around 700 AD Under the Umayyad caliphs who began their rule in 661 AD, numerous desert castles were established as a means to govern the desert area of modern-day Jordan, several of which are still well-preserved. Amman had already been functioning as an administrative center. The Umayyads built a large palace on the Amman Citadel hill, known today as the Umayyad Palace. The Ottoman Empire annexed the region of Amman in 1516, but for much of the Ottoman period, al-Salt functioned as the virtual political center of Transjordan. Amman began to be resettled in 1878, when hundreds of Circassians arrived following their exodus from the Caucasus; between 1872 and 1910, tens of thousands of Circassians had relocated to Ottoman Syria after being displaced by the Russian Empire during the events of the Russo-Circassian War. The Ottoman authorities directed the Circassian immigrants, who were mainly of peasant stock, to settle in Amman, and distributed arable land among them. Their settlement was a partial manifestation of the Ottoman statesman Kamil Pasha's project to establish a vilayet centered in Amman, which, along with other sites in its vicinity, would become Circassian-populated townships guaranteeing the security of the Damascus– Medina highway. Until 1900 settlement was concentrated in the valley and slopes of the Amman stream and settlers built mud-brick houses with wooden roofs. By 1908 Amman contained 800 houses divided between three main quarters, several mosques, open-air markets, shops, bakeries, mills, a textile factory, a post and telegraph office and a government compound. The British report from 1933 shows around 1,700 Circassians living in Amman. Yet the community was far from insulated. They formed alliances both with local urban and nomadic communities and regional grain merchants to cement their status in the newly established city. Amman's first municipal council was established in 1909, and Circassian Ismael Babouk was elected as its mayor. The city's demographics changed dramatically after the Ottoman government's decision to construct the Hejaz Railway, which linked Damascus and Medina (left), and facilitated the annual Hajj pilgrimage and trade. Because of its location along the railway, Amman was transformed from a small village into a major commercial hub in the region. Ottoman railway ten arches bridge, built in 1910 in Amman. Jordan gained its independence in 1946 and Amman was designated the country's capital. Amman received many refugees during wartime events in nearby countries, beginning with the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. A second wave arrived after the Six-Day War in 1967. In 1970, Amman was a battlefield during the conflict between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Jordanian Army known as Black September. The Jordanian Army defeated the PLO in 1971, and the latter were expelled to Lebanon. The first wave of Iraqi and Kuwaiti refugees settled in the city after the 1991 Gulf War, with a second wave occurring in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. During the last ten years, the city has experienced an economic, cultural, and urban boom. The large growth in population has significantly increased the need for new accommodation, and new districts of the city were established at a quick pace. This strained Jordan's scarce water supply and exposed Amman to the dangers of quick expansion without careful municipal planning. Amman is the site of major mega projects such as the Abdali Urban Regeneration Project and the Jordan Gate Towers. The city contains several high-end hotel franchises including the Four Seasons Hotel Amman, Sheraton Hotel Amman, Fairmont Amman, St. Regis Hotel Amman, Le Royal Hotel and others. Royal Jordanian Airlines headquarters in Amman. right Amman has a mostly Sunni Muslim population, and the city contains numerous mosques. Large numbers of Christians from throughout Jordan, particularly from al-Salt, have moved to Amman. Nearby Fuheis is a predominantly Christian town located to the northwest of the city.

Souk Jara is one of the most famous outdoor markets.

Celebrations of Amman's centennial in 2009, above, right After our visit in Amman, we headed across the river into Israel. Our first stop in Israel was at Mt. Tabor, about 50 miles north of Tiberius, shown on current map of Israel (below right), circled in purple. Here we visited the Franciscan Church of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor (below, left) which is where Jesus is believed to have been transfigured, according to the Gospel of Mathew. "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead." (Matthew 17:1–9.).

Next, we went to Capernaum, a fishing village established during the time of the Hasmoneans, located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It had a population of about 1,500. Archaeological excavations have revealed two ancient synagogues built one over the other. An exorcism performed in the synagogue is one of the miracles of Jesus, recounted in Mark 1:21–28 and Luke 4:31–37. Jesus and his disciples went to Capernaum, and Jesus began to teach on the Sabbath. People were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!" "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching — and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. Pictured right is the eleventh century fresco of the Exorcism at the Synagogue in Capernaum. We also saw a house turned into a church by the Byzantines that is said to be the home of Saint Peter. Jesus, at the beginning of his ministry, left his boyhood home in Nazareth and took up residence in Capernaum. This move was a fulfillment of prophecy. The town is cited in all four gospels (Matthew 4:13, 8:5, 11:23, 17:24, Mark 1:21, 2:1, 9:33, Luke 4:23, 31,7:1, 10:15, John 2:12, 4:46, 6:17, 24,59) where it was reported to have been near the hometown of the apostles Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John, as well as the tax collector Matthew. Capernaum is also mentioned in Matthew 9:1–8, Mark 2:1–12, and Luke 5:17–26 as the location of the famous healing of the paralytic lowered through the roof to reach Jesus. At least five of the twelve apostles Jesus called to follow him lived in Capernaum - James and John (brothers), Andrew and Peter (brothers) and Matthew. Church of the Primacy of St. Peter (below). The Church of the Primacy of St. Peter was built on rocks at the shore of the Sea of Galilee, traditionally considered to be the place where Jesus appeared the fourth time after his resurrection (John 21:1-24), during which Jesus again conferred primacy on Simon Peter. Next, we visited Cana on our way to Jerusalem. Among Christians and other students of the New Testament, Cana is best known as the place where Jesus performed "the first of his signs", his first public miracle, the turning of a large quantity of water into wine at a wedding feast (John 2:1–11) when the wine provided by the bridegroom had run out. Although none of the synoptic gospels record the event, mainstream Christian tradition holds that this is the first public miracle of Jesus. The other biblical references to Cana are also in John: John 4:46, which mentions that Jesus is visiting Cana when he is asked to heal the son of a royal official at Capernaum; and John 21:2, where it is mentioned that Nathanael comes from Cana. We also visited the Sea of Galilee where Jesus had several encounters with his fisherman disciples. The Sea of Galilee is a large freshwater lake in Israel. It is approximately 33 miles in circumference, about 13 miles long, and 1 mile wide. Its area is 64.4 square miles at its fullest, and its maximum depth is approximately m 141 feet. To put this in perspective, Lake Murray has an area of 78.12 square miles. The Sea of Galilee is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake overall (after the Dead Sea, a saltwater lake) The lake is fed partly by underground springs although its main source is the Jordan River which flows through it from north to south. Our next stop was in Nazareth (right). In Luke's Gospel, Nazareth is first described as 'a city of Galilee' and home of Mary (Luke 1:26). Following the birth and the events of chapter 2 of Luke's Gospel, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus "returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth". According to the Gospel of Luke, Nazareth was the home village of Mary as well as the site of the Annunciation (when the angel Gabriel informed Mary that she would give birth to Jesus). According to the Gospel of Matthew, Joseph and Mary resettled in Nazareth after returning from the flight from Bethlehem to Egypt. According to the Bible, Jesus grew up in Nazareth for some period in his childhood. After Nazareth we visited Samaria. The New Testament mentions Samaria in Luke 17:11–20, in the miraculous healing of the ten lepers, which took place on the border of Samaria and Galilee. John 4:1– 26 records Jesus' encounter at Jacob's Well (pictured left) with the woman of Sychar, in which he declares himself to be the Messiah. In Acts 8:2 it is recorded that the early community of disciples of Jesus began to be persecuted in Jerusalem and were 'scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria'. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached and healed the sick there. n the time of Jesus, Iudaea of the Romans was divided into the toparchies of Judea, Samaria, Galilee and the Paralia. Samaria occupied the center of Iudaea (John 4:4). The Christian Gospels state that Jesus of Nazareth passed through Jericho where he healed blind beggars (Matthew 20:29), and inspired a local chief tax-collector named Zacchaeus to repent of his dishonest practices (Luke 19:1–10). The road between Jerusalem and Jericho is the setting for the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Christ Healing the Blind in Jericho, El Greco From Jericho we completed out journey to Jerusalem. We will spend next week exploring that city. I hope you enjoyed this jam-packed week. Kathy Scharer, Your Tour Director