6th March: Mt. Nebo, Bethany, and floating in the Dead Sea

The first part of the day was dedicated to the visit of Mount Nebo and Bethany, important places for pilgrims (not only Christians). Mount Nebo is a few kilometres away from Madaba, and it was pleasant to have another look at the city under a clear blue sky. The streets were hard to recognise, probably because most of the time we had covered our faces to protect them from the rain and the cold.


From the side of Mount Nebo we enjoyed the beautiful view over the valley and the River Jordan. The entrance to Moses Memorial Church (6th century) was unfortunately closed, but a small visitors center offered an exhibition detailing references to the bible and ancient texts in the area. We then went to the panorama spot, from which we were hoping to see the "Promised Land", but it was too hazy to enjoy the view fully (frustratingly for John, who had been pleased with himself for successfully waiting out the rain when we were staying in Madaba). The Dead Sea and the Jordan valley could just about be made out through the pink haze. On clear days, we were told, you can see the tops of Jerusalem's tallest buildings.

The valley below Mount Nebo

A Roman milestone

An olive tree planted by Pope John Paul II

The Dead Sea lies somewhere beneath that pink haze

What we should have been able to see

The entrance tickets mentioned a mosaic from the Church of St Lot and Proscopius, which piqued our curiosity (and our desire to get value for money). Very few tourists make it down there, but our driver was happy to oblige. The place was very quiet and offered great views over the valley, and in particular over fields of olive trees. The man loitering near the building told us that his family had discovered the mosaics, which were now protected inside a house. Unfortunately they had made a couple of fires before noticing them (so he told us; not sure how that worked), leaving dark traces on the mosaics.

Mosaics of the Church of St L and St P, with their shelter

The hunter's arrow fails to slow the lion

Another ruined church nearby

View of the valley

After seeing so many mosaics, we thought it would be interesting to see how they were made nowadays (giving our driver the opportunity to collect on a commission for taking us there). We therefore agreed to a quick stop in a mosaic workshop en route to Bethany. Quality varies hugely depending on the method they use (the traditional method, where they glue the little tiles on a piece of cloth, produces far better quality than the modern technique larger tiles are placed on adhesive plastic). We considered getting a table decorated with a replica of the mosaic of the Sea Goddess Thalassa, but the price was not quite within our budget. Besides, what looked good in the shop might have might have looked rather silly in a small flat in London.

We arrived in Bethany ("beyond-the-Jordan") a bit after noon, and were pleased to find that the shuttle bus from the parking to the main site had not yet left. The bus first took us past the place from which the Prophet Elijah is said to have ascended to heaven on a chariot of fire, after having parted the waters of the River Jordan. Apparently the area was sacred to many religions. We hopped off the bus and walked along the spring of St. John the Baptist to the site where he is thought to have baptised Jesus. Sadly the water level of the River Jordan has falled significantly over the last century, so the baptismal site is now rather dry. A flight of steps led up from the water to the ruins of several 5th-6th century AD Byzantine churches. Regardless of one's beliefs, it was fascinating to see the reputed site of such a pivotal Biblical episode. The presence of another dozen or so people did not encourage reflection, but we took our time to enjoy the occasion.

Spring of St. John the Baptist

The spring flows down towards the River Jordan

The baptismal site is at the bottom of the steps

Bizarre mosaic of the Papal visit (spot the shiny gold watch)

The route followed by the River Jordan before the water level fell

Remains of Byzantine churches

From there we walked further along to the eastern bank of the River Jordan, where we waved at tourists on the Israeli side. Soldiers on both sides kept a sharp watch for any irregularities.

On the bank of the River Jordan

The other side of the river

One of many churches nearby

Yet more churches being built

After a quick stop at a roadside shop to pick up some bread and cheese for our picnic lunch, we arrived at the entrance of one of the private beaches by the Dead Sea. The weather was lovely, sunny and warm (about 23 degrees celsius), perfect for a dip in the sea. We were glad to have waited a few more days, rather than taking a trip from Madaba. It would have been much less enjoyable under the rain, although we would of course have had a swim anyway. The private beach was a great compromise between a fancy resort and the public beach: it was clean, with changing rooms and (cold) showers. No time to waste, we quickly put on our swimming suits (and I put on a shirt over the top for the sake of decency, given that it is a predominantly Muslim country) and went down to the beach. There were only a few people there, most of whom were floating and laughing in the water.

The private (but not too expensive) beach

The first thing we did as we entered the water was obviously to lay on our back and strike the pose for the camera. It was really easy to stay in that position as the water literally holds you up. Trying to swim on the front was much more fun though, as it is almost impossible to move your legs as they are pushed out of the water. It is a great experience and we would definitely recommend it!

Floating in the Dead Sea

Trying to swim on my front

Salt deposits at the shoreline

Salt-encrusted skin

A last look at the Dead Sea

A little diagram for you

Back at the hostel, we chilled for a couple of hours before meeting Andres and his friends for dinner. They took us to a small restaurant down a side-street and we enjoyed delicious local dishes (and in particular kofta with hummus sauce, not light but yummy!). Greedy as we are, we succumbed to a little delicacy, Kenafeh, made with soft cheese, lots of sugar and paste cooked in butter. Again, quite heavy, but so good. Back at the hostel, we started packing our bags to get ready for an early start the following morning.