Newsletter # 17 - Part II of our Adventures in Jordan! Plus Purim festivities.
Don't forget to check out our "Adventures in Israel" website at: http://www.geocities.com/liznkev/index.html.
The first day of our Embassy tour consisted mainly of a VERY long bus trip. We stopped on the way to drive up Mt. Nebo, the high mountain peak where God brought Moses to look eastward into the Promised Land. Moses wasn't permitted to enter himself, because he had sinned against God. The Bible says Moses could see all the way from Mt. Nebo to the Mediterranean Sea. No one has been able to see that far since, including us! God buried Moses somewhere in this area, but no one knows exactly where the grave is. His successor, Joshua, led the Israelites across the Jordan River into Israel, opposite the ancient city of Jericho. There's a monastery on the mountaintop containing beautiful mosaic floors.
Near Mt. Nebo is a Christian church containing the world's oldest map, a large floor mosaic of the Middle East. It's not very accurate, but it's unique becaue it uses pictures to explain the places depicted.
Another interesting stop along the way was at the huge, well-preserved stone Crusader fortress of Karak, set high on a cliff in the middle of the city. Some of the castle walls have become part of the city's buildings. It was so high up and windy, I thought we might all blow off the edge of the cliff! The inside of the castle was dark, with only very narrow openings in the outside walls for light, so the castle's defenders could safely shoot at their enemies. Openings in the ceilings served as chimneys. There was a big pit for cooking in the "kitchen."
We spent the first night at the Movenpick Hotel. The next morning we crossed the street and entered Petra, the ancient hidden rose-red city of the pagan Nabateans, who eventually became wealthy international traders. To enter the park, you walk downhill for a mile through a narrow winding opening between high sandstone cliffs. During this part of the journey, you have to watch out for horse-drawn carriages conveying the less athletic tourists through the tunnel. Suddenly, through the crevice you see the facade of a huge reddish building carved right into the soft sandstone cliff. This temple or tomb is the most famous discovery in Petra, and is known as the Treasury. Its builders carved stairs up the cliff to the chosen starting point, dug into the wall, and started carving from the the top down to the ground. We spent most of day exploring. It's a very large park, and there are many enormous tombs. Apparently contractors would build the tombs, and then try to sell them. Some tombs had steps leading up toward the heaven, presumably to help the deceased ascend. Kevin hiked way, way up to an abandoned monastery and a sacrificial altar for a fabulous view. Inside the park there seemed to be about a million Beduoin boys with sweet-faced little donkeys for rent. They kept crowding around the tourists, offering rides up the mountains to the sites for a small fee. There are also camels for rent. Unrented camels tend to fold their legs, kneel, and make peculiar noises back and forth to each other. The return trip is all uphill. I was so tired that I rented a dusty old Arabian horse, led by a Beduoin man, on the last stage of the journey.
Our bus headed for Amman, the current capital of Jordan, where we spent the night at a very plush 5-star Grand Hyatt. Our group ate dinner at a fancy Arab restaurant. Several people sit at a square table with a huge bronze plate in middle. Various dishes are set down on the central plate. You pass the dishes around and take what you want, or the waiter places the food on your plate for you. Kevin and I ended up at a table with five women. The waiter apparently noticed this, because he put a leafy green salad on Kevin's plate, and whispered "Egyptian Viagra!" Kevin started laughing and told the rest of us. We all cracked up again when the same waiter returned, and placed even more salad on Kevin's plate!
The next day we had a tour of the city. Amman was one of the ancient Decapolis cities originally built on seven hills, like Rome. It is now a beautiful city of some 1.6 million people, and covering 21 hills. There are several big hotels, with more being built. We found the city modern, clean, and well-planned - traffic wasn't bad atall! There are American chain restaurants such as McDonalds' (AKA "the other American Embassy"), clubs like Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood, and a ritzy residential section. On a hilltop above the city, called The Citadel, are ancient pagan and Christian ruins, and an original city wall. Our Amman Embassy is the biggest American Embassy in the Middle East. Our group walked around downtown. In the midst of the city is an ancient restored Roman theater. Although a mall is being built, most shops are located along the main streets - family-owned, and very expensive to purchase. The owners sit outside their shops and place their wares by the sidewalks. We know a Foreign Service employee who used to be stationed in Amman. She said that the American women there quickly learned to dress modestly when going into the city - otherwise, the men would walk right up and start groping them!
Our next stop was the ruins of the Roman Decapolis city of Jerash. We entered through Hadrian's Arch, walked along the main Cardo (a broad paved columned street), and saw the temple of Artemis, remains of old shops and a theater. The city's fountain is called a nymphaeum because it was dedicated to water nymphs, with niches for statues of pagan deities. The signed group photo posted on our website was taken in the Forum.
Just before crossing the border back into Israel, we stopped at another Decapolis city and archeological site, Gadera. This is one of two competing sites for Jesus' casting out demons from a man who afterward may have started the Christian church there, as mentioned in the Bible (The demons, on the other hand, entered a herd of swine that plunged off the cliff.) From this high point in the Mountains of Gilead, our group munched baklava and drank coffee on a stone terrace overlooking the Sea of Galilee. We could also see the Golan Heights, including snow-topped Mt. Hermon, currently belonging to Israel; Syria; one of the rivers that feeds the Jordan River; and the fenced border between Israel and Jordan. The restaurant sits among black basalt ruins.
The US Government is expanding the organizations that aid Palestinians. Arab-speakers are preferred. There are Jewish people who work for this organization, although sometimes their friends and family members aren't real pleased about this. One American Embassy couple who went on the tour live and work in the Arab town of Ramallah. The wife is a lawyer who's trying to set up an organized legal system there. Her husband is researching and documenting Israeli war crimes against Palestinians. However, currently there is no tribunal to hear the cases, nor is Israel apparently eager to set one up. They carry a head scarf in their Government car and leave it on the dashboard so no one will bother the vehicle. They said the Palestinians sometimes celebrate festive occasions by shooting rifles into the air, but otherwise it's pretty calm there.
PURIM:
The Jewish holiday of Purim is a time of giving to charity and friends, much eating and much drinking, singing traditional songs, dressing up in funny costumes (adults included!), parades, and putting on humerous plays. The newspapers run articles that are even sillier than normal. Purim is actually a celebration of the events recorded in the Book (Scroll) of Esther in the Bible. The story of Esther takes place long ago in the Persian Empire, and commemorates victory over an evil tyrant. The king’s wicked counselor, Haman, becomes angry because the Jewish people living in the kingdom refuse to grovel and bow down before him. In retaliation, Haman convinces the King that they should all be killed. When the Jewish people hear the bad news, they begin to fast and pray. The brave Jewish Queen Esther, with the help of her wise Uncle Mordechai, uses her wits and charm to turn the tables on Haman. The evil plot backfires, Haman is hanged, and everyone celebrates!
At my suggestion, some of my co-workers came to work in costume. Leading the way was our Commander, impersonating Uncle Sam. A few people forgot to wear costumes. So as not to be left out of the group photo, they borrowed each other’s clothing and impersonated each other! I worked all day dressed as a Florida tourist, complete with phony sunburn. (I was also Acting Team Leader that day. The real Team Leader took the day off to celebrate his favorite holiday. The rabbis command that all adult Jewish males drink wine "until they don't know the difference between Haman and Mordechai." Maybe it's a good thing he didn't come to work that day!)
That evening, Kevin and I went to a Purim party at our church. The kids put on a traditional Purim play, where the audience cheers for Mordecai, boos Haman, and uses noisemakers at appropriate times, similar to an American melodrama. Even the audience wears costumes. Kevin made an authentic-looking Bible character costume out of sheets, scarves, a pillowcase, and a bathrobe. There are special pastries for Purim, filled triangles known as “Haman’s Ears.” At the party, the kids got to swing at a pinata in the shape of a big Haman's Ear.
Yallabye till next time!
K&E