6 Day Christian Tour

of Jordan

Madaba - Greek Orthodox Church of St. George - Mt. Nebo – Bay of Bethany Baptism Site – Jordan River - Dead Sea – Amman - Umm Qais - Ajlun ( Qa'alat Ar Rabad ) - Jerash – Petra – Siq Al Barid (Little Petra) - Al Beidha – Wadi Rum - Kings Highway – Dana Nature Reserve - Karak Castle

Day 1

Queen Alia International Airport or Borders – Madaba - Greek Orthodox Church of St. George - Mt. Nebo – Madaba

Welcome to Jordan!

You will be met and assisted upon arrival at any time by our representative, and then we will transfer to tour the area around Madaba and Mount Nebo.

If we have enough time we could visit Machaerus ( Mukawir ) and Umm ar Rasas.

We will visit the Mosaic church of Madaba.

We shall see the most famous mosaic, which is housed at the contemporary Greek Orthodox Church of St. George and which depicts the Holy Land.

This is a wonderfully vivid 6th Century mosaic map, comprising two million pieces of colored stones showing the entire region from Jordan, Palestine in the north, and Egypt in the south.

It is fun to spend a while picking out the various cities and admiring the little vignettes the artist incorporated into the map.

The Nabataeans, governed the city during the 1st Century A.D. and Madaba was sacked by the Persians in 614.

Madaba has a long history, dating back to before 1300 B.C. It was first mentioned in the Bible as Madaba at the time of the Exodus.

It was ruin was completed by the earthquake of 747.

Madaba stood abandoned for over 1,000 years until around 1880 a group of Christians settled here. In the process of rebuilding the city, they discovered the mosaics under the rubble.

From Madaba we will drive 10km up the hill to reach Mount Nebo, a very important Christian site, recently visited by the Pope.

It was here, on the edge of the ridge overlooking the Dead Sea, that Moses first caught sight of the Holy Land, having led his people from Sinai. It is said that Moses also died and was buried here.

The West Bank city of Jericho is usually visible from the summit of Mount Nebo, as is Jerusalem on a very clear day.

On the highest point of the mountain, Syagha, the remains of a church and monastery were discovered in 1933.

The church was first constructed in the second half of the fourth century to commemorate the place of Moses' death.

It was enlarged in the late 5th century and rebuilt in 597 AD. We will be visiting the Christian George Church, the Christian Mosaic Church, and the Christian Prophets Church.

Then we will go back to our hotel in Madaba for dinner and overnight.

Day 2

Madaba – Bay of Bethany Baptism Site – Jordan River - Dead Sea - Amman

After breakfast at our hotel we will drive to the Bay of Bethany Baptism Site, and the Dead Sea.

We will visit the Bay of Bethany Baptism Site, where John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the surrounding Jordan River.

This area is one of the most important recent discoveries in biblical archeology.

Excavations only began here in 1996, following Jordan's peace treaty with Israel in 1994, but have already uncovered more than 20 churches, caves, and baptismal pools dating from the Roman and Byzantine periods.

Although the identification is not absolutely certain, archeology has shown that the area known as Wadi Kharrar has long been believed to be the biblical Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John the Baptist lived and Jesus was baptized.

This area is also associated with the ascension of the Prophet Elijah into Heaven, which is commemorated at a hill called Tell Mar Elias.

Then we will transfer to the Dead Sea, at 400 meters below sea level, the lowest point on earth.

At the Dead Sea we will spend the rest of the day where we can float in the mineral-rich waters, take a therapeutic black-mud massage, or just relax round the swimming pool with a drink.

The therapeutic sticky black-mud treatment, packed full of minerals and nutrients, comes highly recommended.

Visitors to the Dead Sea have an unforgettable experience as the high density of the water makes sinking virtually impossible!

Also famous for their restorative powers are the thermal mineral springs of nearby Zarqa Ma'een.

Then we will go back to our hotel in Amman for dinner and overnight.

Day 3

Amman - Umm Qais - Ajlun ( Qa'alat Ar Rabad ) - Jerash – Amman

Today we will be sightseeing north of Amman taking in Hellenistic-Roman City of Jerash, Ajlun Castle, and Umm Qais (Gadara).

Jerash, is located 48 kilometers from Amman, has been dubbed the 'Pompeii of the East' due to it being one of the world's largest and most well-preserved sites of Roman architecture outside of Italy.

Jerash's colonnaded streets, baths, theatres, plazas and arches remain in exceptional condition and make the city an extremely interesting place to look around.

After a period of decline in the 3rd century, Jerash, was reborn as a Christian city under the Byzantines.

It flourished especially during the reign of Justinian (527-65) during which the last seven churches were added to the city. The last church was built in 611, but it all went downhill from there.

The city was invaded by the Persians in 614, captured by Muslims in 635, and badly damaged by several earthquakes in the 8th century.

By the time the Crusaders arrived in the 12th century, Jerash, had been uninhabited for some time. Excavations began in 1920 and are still going on today.

Next, we will visit Ajlun ( Qa'alat Ar Rabad ) to see the 12th Century Saracen Castle built by one of Saladin's lieutenants and used in the military campaign against the Crusaders.

Some of the stones with which the castle was built have crosses carved into them, giving credence to a tradition that an ancient monastery once stood on the site inhabited by a Christian named Ajlun.

When the monastery fell into ruin the castle took its place and the name of the monk

Then we will visit Umm Qais , situated 110km north of Amman and once known as Gadara (which means fortification).

Umm Qais was once one of the most brilliant ancient Hellenistic-Roman cities of the Decapolis and, according to the Bible, the spot where Jesus cast out devils from two demoniacs (mad men) into a herd of pigs.

Umm Qais is on a broad promontory 378 meters above sea level that enjoys a magnificent view over the Golan Heights, Lake Tiberius (Sea of Galilee) , and Jebel al Sheikh in both Lebanon and Syria.

We will return to our hotel in Amman for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 4

Petra

Today we do a full-day tour of Petra, the rose-red city half as old as time which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

Petra is a city which was carved out of the Sharah Mountains by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2,000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice, and other trade routes that linked China, India, and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece, and Rome.

Petra fell into obscurity for hundreds of years, its location and very existence kept a closely guarded secret by the local Bedouin, before being re-discovered by the Swiss explorer Burkhardt in 1812.

We will enter the city through the Siq, a narrow gorge over a kilometer in length, flanked on either side by soaring, 80 meter high cliffs to be confronted by Al Khazneh (The Treasury), Petra's most elaborate monument.

Local legend has it that the rock-cut Treasury once held the gifts of Queen Sheba to Solomon.

As you enter the Petra valley you will be overwhelmed by the natural beauty of the place and its outstanding architectural achievements.

There are hundreds of elaborate rock-cut tombs with intricate carvings as well as obelisks, temples, sacrificial altars, colonnaded streets, and high above, overlooking the valley, is the impressive ( Al Deir ) Monastery, reached up a flight of 800 stone stairs.

We return to our hotel in Petra for dinner and overnight.

Day 5

Petra – Siq Al Barid (Little Petra) - Al Beidha – Wadi Rum

After having breakfast at our hotel we drive to Siq Al Barid (Little Petra) , a suburb of the main ancient city.

Little Petra provides an atmospheric summary of Nabataean architecture.

The area was once a caravanserai stop for the capital and comes complete with its own mini-Siq, a 350 meter fissure in the rock crammed with tombs, triclinums, water channels, and cisterns.

It is still easy to imagine the sounds and smells of the old days when traders, caravan masters and drovers lived and traded here.

We drive a short distance on to Al Beidha, or 'the white one' on account of the color of its rock.

Al Beidha contains the remains of a Neolithic site, dating back to 7,500 BC which makes it one of the earliest known co-operative villages on earth.

Mediterranean trees such as Oak, Juniper, Carob, and Pistachio thrive in this small sandy valley.

We will have lunch before driving on to Wadi Rum for a sunset tour, to eat the traditional, freshly prepared, Jordanian dinner provided by our genial Bedouin hosts and staying overnight in a deluxe campsite with clean comfortable beds and hot showers.

Day 6

Wadi Rum - Kings Highway - Dana Nature Reserve - Karak - Queen Alia International Airport or Borders

After breakfast in our tents, we will transfer back to Amman airport going up the Kings Highway, stopping at the Dana Natural Reserve to take pictures for its view from a distance.

After lunch we will visit Karak Castle to view the 12th Century Crusader Castle.

Karak Castle soars above its valleys and hills like a great ship riding waves of rocks.

It is a typical crusader fortress, with dimly lit stone-vaulted rooms and corridors leading into each other through heavy arches and doorways.

In truth the castle is more imposing than beautiful.

The ruins of the upper level are attributed to the Crusader period, and the staircases leading to the underground level of the upper courtyard provide access to Mamluk architecture complexes, most of which were probably associated with a palace.

This was the famous scene of the Battle of Mutah (629 AD).

Then we will transfer to the airport of borders for departure with a farewell.