After leaving the Dead Sea, we told our driver that we wanted to go to Jebel Nebo (Mount Nebo is Arabic), and he seemed to understand perfectly!  He even repeated it...Jebel Nebo!  Praise Jesus, we knew where we were going at last...or so we thought.  We ended up driving back and forth over the countryside, stopping every 2 minutes to ask for directions.  I am sure you think I am exaggerating, but I promise you I am not.  He would ask someone, drive until he saw someone else, and ask again.

After going back and forth for a while, driving around construction, pulling off everywhere we could, our driver decided he would stop for a snack.  I think we all needed a break, but it was painful how close we were but yet how far away we were.  By the grace of God there was an individual in this little convenience store that spoke fluent english and arabic.  We told him where we wanted to go and he told the driver and us which turns we needed to make.  It was only a short time later that we were pulling up to the Mount Nebo site.

Mount Nebo is known as the site where Moses looked out over the Promised Land, and then died.  It is believed he is buried somewhere on the site, but no one knows where.  There sits on the location today a church and a large staff representing the staff Moses carried as well as the cross that Jesus died on.  On a clear day, from this site you can see all the way to Jerusalem.  One can only imagine what Moses thought about as he stood there.  To look out over the land that God had given his people, and to never be able to set foot there...

There have been several churches on this site since the days of early Christianity.  In fact, inside the church that stands there today, one can see the ruins of a much older church that stood on the same site.  After enjoying the view of Israel for a while, we decided that we would head to Madaba and try to find our hotel...

I really did not know what to expect visiting Mount Nebo, the area where Moses went to look down on the Promised Land.  I am not a religious person but at the same time find fascination with religions.  Whatever gets you through life as long as you are not hurting anyone else is fine by me. 

I think that Moses had a clearer day when looked down on the Promised Land than when i visited, but while being a little hazy the sky was still blue.  The view was incredible even with the haze and I had the overwhelming urge to try hang-gliding or maybe base jumping.  I went into the church and just looked around for a bit.  It was a modest little building which I wish most places of worship were.  There were some interesting mosaics present in the church.  I went back outside, got another glimpse of the view and returned to my car and went to Amman. 

Mount Nebo is an elevated ridge that is approximately 817 metres (2680 feet) above sea level, in what is now western Jordan. The view from the summit provides a panorama of the Holy 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 very clear day.

According to the final chapter of Deuteronomy, Mount Nebo is where the Hebrew prophet Moses was given a view of the promised land that God was giving to the Hebrews. "And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho." (Deuteronomy 34:1).

According to Jewish and Christian tradition, Moses was buried on this mountain by God himself, and his final resting place is unknown. Scholars continue to dispute whether the mountain currently known as Nebo is the same as the mountain referred to in the Torah.