Jordan - Part 1

Amman is the capital of Jordan and has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC. In the 3rd century BC, it was conquered by King Ptolemy II Philadelphus of Egypt and he renamed the city Philadelphia. It would keep that name throughout the coming Byzantine and Roman periods. We spent three nights in Amman right downtown in a wonderful apartment with a great view of one of the many hills Amman is famous for. One thing about Amman, you can look on a map and be incredibly close to something, but in reality it it is a long way, with a maze of streets and an unbelievable number of stairs. The downtown area is very busy, noisy, and full of life. It also casually has a Roman theatre right in the middle of it all.

We drove north for about an hour to Jerash, which boasts one of the world's best-preserved Roman cities. Possibly founded by Alexander the Great, Jerash was known as Gerasa in Greco-Roman times. The city is known as the Pompeii of the east as most of it was destroyed in a 749 earthquake.

After leaving Amman, we went south to the mosaic city of Madaba, which is most famous for having an ancient map of the holy land uncovered on the floor of a Greek Orthodox church. The map has been a key clue in locating other historical sites in the region including the baptismal site of Jesus. On the way from Madaba toward the Dead Sea you see Mount Nebo, where allegedly Moses was able to see the promised land in the distance, now the West Bank in Palestine.