DID YOU KNOW?
1.
Herod Antipas became governor of Machaerus after
marrying a Nabataem princess, believed to bethe daughter of King Aretus IV (9BC-
40 AD) ,in order to cement a Herodian Nabataean alliance. However, he also
married his sister law, Herodia-a relationship that was strongly opposed by
John the Baptist. As a result, Herod imprisoned and beheaded John at Machaerus
(Mark 6:14-29).
The forces of King Aretus later
defeated Herod Antipas’army in 36AD.This was subsequently interpreted by many
as divine retribution for the death of John the Baptist.
2.
During the 1st millennium BC, the
King’s Highway linked the kingdoms of Edom, Moab and Ammon. Several centuries
later, the Nabate used this road as a trade route for luxury goods such as
frankincense and spices coming from the southern Arabian Peninsula. When the
Romans took over the area, they remodeled the road to meet Roman standards or
troop transport and renamed it the Via Nova Traiana. The highway has long been
an important pilgrimage route for both Christians and Muslims alike.
3.
6 Tombs , from different periods, have been
found hollowed out of the rock beneath
the mosaic-covered floor of the Moses Memorial Church at Mount Nebo .In the
present presbytery you can see remnants of mosaics, the earliest of which is a
panel with a braided cross. The Serpentine Cross, which stands just outside the
sanctuary, is symbolic of the brass serpent taken by Moses into the desert and
the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.
4.
As they were leaving the burning city of Sodom,
Lot’s wife disobeyed God’s order not to look back and was turned into a pillar
of salt ( Genesis 19:26).Lot and his 2 daughters survived and fled to a cave
near the small town of Zoar (modern day Safi).In the Book of Genesis, God
refers , to the “ Jordan River Valley
around the Dead Sea, as the “Garden of the Lord ,”and it is believed to be the
location of the Garden of Eden.
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