Jericho, Holy Land
Jericho (Ariha in Arabic) is the oldest inhabited town in the world, dating back more than 10,000 years. It lies 260 meters (853 feet) below sea level, making it the lowest town on earth.
It is located 36 km east of Jerusalem, on the road to Amman and at the junction of the highway to Galilee.
Known as the "City of Palms", Jericho contains some of the world's most important historic sites and is frequently mentioned in the Bible. On a mount overlooking the Jericho oasis, excavations have uncovered settlements dating from 9000 BC and the Oldest Walled Town dating from the Neolithic period (7000 BC) yet discovered, a most unusual example of fortifications in that prehistoric age.
Jericho's contribution to civilization is unique. The domestication of plants and animals and the invention of pottery took place in ancient Jericho 1000 years before Mesopotamia and Egypt, while the walls and towers of Jericho preceded the pyramids of Egypt by 4000 years.
Jericho's moderate climate makes it a favorite winter resort. It is an important agricultural area, producing fresh fruits and vegetables year round. Jericho dates, bananas and citrus fruits are especially famous.
Jericho deserves a visit as the history is absorbing and the atmosphere with numerous outdoor cafés and excellent restaurants, is refreshingly laid-back.
Tel Essultan (Ancient Jericho)The ancient city of Jericho is located about 2 km from the northwestern outskirts of Jericho. Situated on a mount overlooking the Jericho oasis, excavations at Tel Essultan uncovered 23 layers of ancient civilizations, dating back to the the Early Bronze Age (9000 BC). Many structures are visible, including the oldest known stairs in the world, the oldest wall, and a 7 meter high massive defense tower, dating back to 7000 BC.
Elisha Fountain at the foot of Tel Essultan is the main water spring of the oasis, Tradition says it is the fountain which Prophet Elisha (pbuh) sweetened by casting a handful of salt into it.
The Dead SeaThe Dead Sea, 400 meters below sea level, is the lowest spot on the surface of the earth. For miles around, arid hills eroded by wind form a silent moonscape that is at once eerie and beautiful. The heavy salt (33% of the water) makes life impossible and swimming an extraordinary and unusual experience. It is almost impossible to sink. One can even lie on his/her back and read a magazine. Dead Sea, Jordan page.
The Dead Sea is a scenic oddity unique in the world. The mud and minerals of the Dead Sea are natural healers of skin diseases and invigorate healthy skin.
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The Jordan RiverThe Jordan River is an unusual stream that flows from 3000 feet above sea level at Mt. Hermon in Syria to the Dead Sea at 1300 feet below sea level. With an average width of 100 feet, the Jordan River twists and curves for 256 km but covers a straight-line distance of only 104 km.
Jesus (pbuh) came to the Jordan River from Galilee to be baptized by John (pbuh). Since then, the river has been important to all Christians, the many of whom get baptized there.
Qelt Valley & Monastery of St. GeorgeQelt Valley is a natural rift in the hills with high, sheer rock walls, extending 45 km between Jerusalem and Jericho. Hermits have inhabited this valley since the 3rd century. Today, it is a wonderful place for hiking tours, especially in the winter.
The Monastery of St. George is carved out of the rock and clings to the canyon walls impressively. Built in the 5th century, the monastery was destroyed during the Persian invasion of the Holy Land. Most of the present monastery dates back to the 1901 restoration by the Greek Orthodox Church.
Good Samaritan InnLocated 10 km east of Jerusalem, on the main road to Jericho, this inn is a 16th century structure where travelers on this ancient trade route stopped to rest. On the other side of road are the remains of St. Euthymius Church built in the 5th century to commemorate Jesus' famous parable of the Good Samaritan.
Nabi Musa, Jericho
Nabi Musa, or the Tomb of Prophet Moses (pbuh), lies 11 km south of Jericho and 20 km east of Jerusalem in the Judean wilderness. A side road to the right of the main Jerusalem-Jericho road, about 2 km beyond the sign indicating sea level, leads to the site venerated by Muslims as Maqam El-Nabi Musa. According to local tradition, the Maqam (tomb) of Nabi Musa is considered to be a holy site for Muslims because it houses the grave of Prophet Moses (pbuh), one of the great prophets of Islam.
The bituminous rocks around the shrine add to its mystique and sanctity, as they are flammable and used by pilgrims as fuel for warmth and cooking. The Tomb has been the site of annual pilgrimage since the time of Salah Eddin. Although the last chapter in the Book of Deuteronomy tells us that Moses (pbuh) died and was buried on the other side of the Jordan River (Duet 34) and that no one knew where his Tomb was. Muslim tradition holds that Salah Eddin had a dream in which it had been revealed to him the site where the prophet Moses (pbuh) was venerated and subsequently he built a cenotaph and on top of it a mosque.
The main body of the present shrine, mosque, minaret and some rooms were built during the reign of Al-Dhaher Baybers, a Mamluk Sultan, in 1269 AD. Pilgrimage started at that time bringing thousands of people from Jerusalem to Nabi Musa in a procession after which they camped at the site for a whole week. In 1410 a hospice for the pilgrims was built and a minaret. Due to the growth in the number of pilgrims every year, the hospice had to be extended to its present spacious dimensions.
In 1820, the Turks restored the building and encouraged the 7-day pilgrimage, which started from Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and hosted a full day until the arrival in Nabi Musa. The rest of the days were spent in prayers, feasting and games. Pilgrims marched in grand procession singing religious songs, dancing and playing flutes until they reached the Maqam. Prayers, celebrations and games continued for five days around the shrine.
The Maqam represents Islamic architecture. It is a huge storey building topped by a complex of Domes. The building consists of a large courtyard surrounded by over 120 rooms. The main mosque, with a minaret lies against the Western Wall of the courtyard. There is a Mihrab (niche) inside it pointing towards Mecca, and beside it is a Minbar (pulpit) from which the Imam leads the prayer.
A wall divides the opening into two parts: the eastern section is designated for men while the western part is for women. To the right of main entrance of mosque, another door leads to a smaller room with the tomb in the middle where the prophet Moses (pbuh) was buried. A Mamluk inscription on the wall reads "The construction of this Maqam other the grave of the Prophet who spoke to the God, Moses, is ordered by his majesty, Sultan Dhaher Abu El-Fateh Baybers, in year 668 Hijri (1269-1270 AD)".
Outside the mosque, the fine minaret affords a view of the shrine, the Jordan Valley and the desert hills beyond. The double-domed structure, which lies 2 km south of Nabi Musa, is identified by Muslim tradition as the Tomb of Hasan Al-Rai the shepherd of Moses as well as a cemetery for the Muslims who died during the festivals.
Hisham's Palace, Jericho
Khirbet El-Mafjar is located 3 km north of Jericho and commonly called Hisham's Palace because it was first thought to have been built by the Umayyad Caliph Hisham bin AbdulMalek (724-743 AD), who ruled an empire stretching from India to the Pyrenees.
Many from the Umayyad dynasty had such hunting lodges, which enabled them to recover the freedom and independence of the desert, which had been their birthright. But the unorthodox decoration of Khirbet El-Mafjar is incompatible with the character of the austere, righteous Hisham, and fits best with what we know of his nephew and successor; Al-Walid bin Yazid (743-744): "Banished from the court for wild living and scurrility, a passionate aesthete and drinker, habitual companion of singers, himself the best poet and marksman of the Umayyads".
Caliph Walid first built the bath, which shows signs of having been in use for a number of years. The bath and the great walled hunting park were his main interests. He was assassinated a year after coming to power, so the palace was never completed and, despite an attempted restoration in the 12th century (possibly by Salah Eddin's troops), it thereafter served as a quarry of cut stones for the people of Jericho.
The architecture and the motifs of the stucco decoration (used here for the first time in Palestine) betray a strong Persian influence. Much of the ornate plasterwork is displayed in the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem.
The main entrance to the colonnaded forecourt was on the south, a gate flanked by two towers. The court extended the length of the palace, and there was an ornamental pool in the center covered by an octagonal pavilion, elaborately carved and decorated.
The main monument of the palace is two storey building, with arcade verandas overlooking the court. Much of the material used is laid out on the ground.
The entrance gate was a large tower, and inside the entrance were benches backed by niches with finely carved heads. Immediately inside is the central courtyard, around which all the rooms were grouped. There was a cloister all around it, and on the columns, lying where they fell, may be seen crosses, showing that they came from a church. Stairs in the northeast and northwest corners led to the second storey. In the center of the south side is a room that appears to have been a mosque, with the foundation of what may have been a minaret outside.
One large room, the roof of which was supported on arches, occupies the whole of the north side. In the center of the west side is a large room, the entrance of which overhangs a sunken court, reached by stairs from the cloister: it has a poor mosaic floor and presumably led into an underground bath nearby and was probably in use before the great baths were added.
In the northwest comer, stairs lead to the baths by what was a covered passageway. To the east, between the palace and the baths, is the mosque, a rectangular enclosure open to the sky except for an arched roof covering the Mihrab (niche).
The baths to the north are the most elaborate part of all, consisting of a forecourt, an entrance, porch, a 30m square hall with a pool on the south side, sun rooms, cool rooms and a steam room, and in the northwest corner a special resting room. The roof of the hall was supported on 16 pillars and the floor was paved with mosaics; representing the largest known area of ancient mosaic.
The entrance porch was a small square room, covered with carved stucco. The drum of the dome had 12 niches with alternate male and female figures. The facade of the porch had two niches, in one was a male figure believed to be that of the Caliph Hisham (displayed in the Jerusalem Museum).
On the south side, stairs lead to the swimming pool. The little room in the north west corner was of special importance, for it has one of the most beautiful and elaborately decorated mosaic floor in the world, the "Tree of Life" mosaic. The design, with a fruit tree and gazelles, was clearly made in imitation of a carpet. On the plan, the room is labeled a guestroom.
The cool rooms and sun rooms to the north have been badly damaged by stone-hunters, and the elaborate brick heating below them has disappeared. Some rooms were over the furnace and hot water tanks. There were two furnaces, both fired from outside. The steam room was to the east; it was paved with white mosaic and had a small fountain.
Much of the carved plaster, which was often painted, has been reconstructed in the Jerusalem Museum.
The architecture of the dome itself as well as the decoration of the palace was no doubt influenced by Christian, Byzantine and Sussanide/Persian traditions.
For the first time in Palestine, the stucco, made to imitate marble, was largely used ornamentally as well as in basic material used to construct windows, balustrades and corbelled structures or human, animal, floral and geometric motifs with Sassanide/Persian inspiration quite apparent.
Monastery of Temptation, Jericho
The summit of Mount of Temptation, rising to a height of 350 meters above sea level and commanding a magnificent and panoramic view of the Jordan Valley, is the site where Jesus (pbuh) spent forty days and forty nights fasting and meditating during the temptation of Satan, about 3 km northwest of Jericho.
A Greek Orthodox monastery was built in the 6th century over the cave where Christ (pbuh) stayed. This spot is another of the holy sites said to have been identified by Queen Helena in her pilgrimage of 326 AD.
The mountain; which from early Christian times has been called the Mount of Temptation; was referred to as "Mons Quarantana" by the Crusaders in the first half of the 12th century, and is locally known as Quruntul mountain (from Quaranta meaning forty, the number of days in the Gospel account of Christ's fast).
"... Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve" Matthew (IV, 8-10).
To climb up the bare, rocky slopes of Quruntul mountain might sound daunting, as the path leading to the Monastery of the Temptation is very steep and difficult to ascend but is well worth the walk, which is in fact a trek of only 15-30 minutes.
The nearly 30 to 40 caves on the eastern slopes of the mountain have been inhabited by monks and hermits since the early days of Christianity.
Qumran and Ein Fashka, Jericho
The archaeological site of Qumran lies 20 km south of Jericho on the western shore of the Dead Sea. It consists of a monastery and the remains of a tower, kitchens, dining hall and the "Scriptorium", where the famous Dead Sea Scrolls were written and found.
The discovery of the Scrolls was made in 1947 by an Arab shepherd who was looking for a stray goat. Seven scrolls were found, the most famous being the scroll of Isaiah, which is one foot wide and 24 feet long.
Excavations at the site found more than 900 pieces of scrolls in more than 30 caves. Except for two scrolls written on copper, all the scrolls were written on leather and papyrus.
Covering a period of 300 years, the writings in the scrolls include the birth of Jesus Christ (pbuh) and offer insights and a background to the teachings of Christ.
One can also find various cisterns, aqueduct and channels, evidence both of the importance of water in the desert, and of the role ritual bathing played in the life of the Essenes - a religious sect who first emerged around 150 BC. This was their religious center from then until 68 AD, when it was destroyed by the Romans. At the far side of the site one can look out to the caves where the Scrolls were found.
Ein Fashka lies just 3 km south of Qumran. A fresh water spring, whose waters tumble down from the hills leading down to the Dead Sea shores, creating pools of lush vegetation and attracting wildlife.
Dead Sea
Deep in the Jordan Valley and 55 km southeast of Amman, is the Dead Sea, one of the most spectacular natural and spiritual landscapes in the whole world. It is the lowest body of water on earth, the lowest point on earth, and the world's richest source of natural salts, hiding wonderful treasures that accumulated throughout thousands of years.
To reach this unique spot, the visitor enjoys a short 30 minutes drive from Amman, surrounded by a landscape and arid hills, which could be from another planet. En route a stone marker indicates "Sea Level", but the Dead Sea itself is not reached before descending another 400 meters below this sign.
The sunset touching distant hills with ribbons of fire across the waters of the Dead Sea brings a sense of unreality to culminate a day's visit to this region. It is normally as calm as a millpond, with barely a ripple disturbing its surface, but it can become turbulent. During most days, however, the water shimmers under a beating sun. Where rocks meet its lapping edges, they become snow-like, covered with a thick, gleaming white deposit that gives the area a strange and surreal sense.
As its name evokes, the Dead Sea is devoid of life due to an extremely high content of salts and minerals which gives its waters the renowned curative powers, therapeutic qualities, and its buoyancy, recognized since the days of Herod the Great, more than 2000 years ago.
And because the salt content is four times that of most world's oceans, you can float in the Dead Sea without even trying, which makes swimming here a truly unique experience not to be missed: here is the only place in the world where you can recline on the water to read a newspaper.
Scientifically speaking, its water contains more than 35 different types of minerals that are essential for the health and care of the body skin including Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Bromine, Sulfur, and Iodine. They are well known for relieving pains and sufferings caused by arthritis, rheumatism, psoriasis, eczema, headache and foot-ache, while nourishing and softening the skin. They also provide the raw materials for the renowned Jordanian Dead Sea bath salts and cosmetic products marketed worldwide.
A unique combination of several factors makes Dead Sea's total attraction: the chemical composition of its water, the filtered sunrays and oxygen-rich air, the mineral-rich black mud along the shoreline, and the adjacent fresh water and thermal mineral springs.
Although sparsely populated and serenely quiet now, the area has a historical and spiritual legacy of its own. It is believed to be the site of five biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zebouin and Zoar.
A series of new roads, hotels and archaeological discoveries are converging to make this region as enticing to international visitors today as it was to kings, emperors, traders and prophets in antiquity.
Seaside facilities include modern hotels with therapeutic clinics and restaurant/bathing/sports complexes, meeting the needs of day visitors or parties wishing to spend the night amidst one of the most dramatic and moving landscapes in the World.
