Sites visited: Deir ‘Alla (Succoth), Pella, Gedara, Ramoth-Gilead
This morning I awoke to the patter of rain on the roof and soft thunder in the distance. When I reached the bus for our 7 am departure and opened my backpack, I found that all my maps had been soaked through. I attempted to dry them by hanging them over the bus seats.
We crossed into Jordan via the Jericho crossing, and the whole ordeal took a couple of hours. Passport control, scanning our baggage, switching busses, waiting in line…finally we were on our way. As we started our drive, the differences between Israel and Jordan became apparent. Ramshackle dwellings surrounded by dirt and garbage, run-down shops, and children running barefoot on the gravel road strewn with shattered glass. Even though it seems very crowded and dirty here, Dr. Wright says that it’s much better than most Arab nations. In fact, many Egyptians migrate here to find better jobs. The Jordanians seem like very friendly people; everywhere we drive, they smile and wave and seem excited to see us. I feel welcome here.
Our first stop was at Deir ‘Alla, which is most likely the Biblical site of Succoth. Here the famous “Balaam text” was found, as well as smolten metal, which is evidence of Solomon creating items for the temple here (1Kgs. 7). There were not many excavated ruins to see, but we pulled out our map and discussed the crossing points in the Rift Valley. The main one in Bible times was from Beth-Shan and the Jezreel Valley.
As we drove to our next stop, Pela, we looked out the window and noticed the “pre-modern” lifestyle of most Jordanians—harvesting crops from the fields, riding donkeys, wearing headscarves, and hand-washing clothes. Pela was a Decapolis city in New Testament times.
Our third stop was Gedara (modern-day Umm-Qais), whose ruins are distinctive because of its basalt rock. I thought it was interesting that this unique feature was a source of civic pride for the Hellenistic, urban inhabitants of Gedara. “Don’t lose the human feeling in the midst of all the stones,” Dr. Wright reminded us. From the basalt theater (which had quite comfortable rock seats—why don’t they build pews like that?!) we could see Mounts Tabor and Moreh. We also admired the black columns of an octagon-shaped, Byzantine-era church. It is one of several octagaonal-shaped churches in the region built to commemorate Jesus. How interesting that the Muslims chose to build the octagon-shaped Dome of the Rock as a memorial to Muhammad—perhaps a subtle suggestion that Islam was comfortably overriding Christianity? We ended this site with a look into both the Tiberias side of the Sea of Galilee (Israel) and modern-day Syria. As we left this site at 3 pm, we grabbed bag lunches to eat on the bus.
We ended the day at Ramoth-Gilead, an important Biblical site (see 1 Kgs. 22) that Israel was never quite able to conquer. This tel stands in the middle of expansive open plains…we are definitely not in the hill country anymore!
As I type this we are driving to Amman, where we will spend the night. Today was a tough day for me, because my sore throat and headache felt a bit worse, and none of the food provided at lunch was gluten-free. However, God keeps on giving me just enough grace to make it through, and I am still thankful to be here.
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Tonight after dinner we went to Starbucks. On the way there, our taxi driver pointed out the procession in front of us—it was King Abdullah! Starbucks was a comforting taste of home. Josh bought me a grande decaf vanilla latte as my wages for cutting his hair earlier this week. ☺ We discussed theology and enjoyed relaxing as we sipped our drinks.
After that, we found a grocery store so I could try to buy some food. Unfortunately, the selection was limited, and I didn’t bring much money. However, I did buy some canned tuna and a can of peas for Amy and I to share. I am thankful for what God provides, just as I need it.
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