Bethany Church in Bethany Tomb Aaron Mukawir Mt. Nebo Umm ar Rassas Umm Qais Jerusalem St. George's Church Church Madaba Mukawir El Deir Petra Wadi Rum Lot's cave Amman Citadel Amman

Biblical Tours

In In Jordan are many places to see which already mentioned in the Bible. We invite you to discover the biblical and historical sites and the beauty of the Kingdom of Jordan. Some of the most famous biblical sites are listed here and further below you find our suggested itinerary:

Anjara: The Vatican designated Anjara in the year 2000 to a Millennium pilgrimage site. Not far from Ajloun in the north you find the Shrine of the Lady of the Mountain at the Roman Catholic Church. It is believed that Jesus, his disciples and Virgin Mary rested here in a cave during a journey between Jerusalem and Galilee.

Bethany beyond Jordan: This is the area where Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, who also lived here. From Tell Mar Elias the Prophet Elijah ascended to heaven “on a chariot of fire and horses of fire”. On this hill are remains of a Byzantine monastery and baptism pools.

Jebel Haroun (Mt. Hor): With nearly 1400 meter it is the highest mountain in the Petra area. On the summit a little white mosque is believed to be the burial place of Aaron, brother of Prophet Moses.

Khirbet Mar Elias (Khirbet al Wahadneh): Prophet Elijah was born in the Tishbe area in the mountains of Gilead, in the north of today's Jordan. Tishbe has been associated with the archaeological remains at Listib, where a large 7th century Byzantine church was excavated, known as Khirbet Mar Elias.

Lot's Cave: In the area along the southeastern Dead Sea, known in the Bible as the Valley of Salt, Lot's cave is located near the village of Safi. Behind the ruins of a Byzantine basilica you find the entrance to the cave. Lot and his daughters lived here after their flight from Sodom. His wife had turned in a pillar of salt as she looked back to Sodom and today a rock above the Dead Sea bears the name "Lot's wife".

Mukawir (Machaerus): Not far from Madaba on top of a hill had been the fortress of Herod Antipas. John the Baptist, who preached against the king was imprisoned and beheaded in Mukawir after Salome danced and demanded John's head on a platter as a reward.

Mount Nebo: From here Prophet Nebo glanced at the Promised Land before he died. He was buried somewhere on the mountain, which is close to Madaba. In March 2000 Pope Paul II. visited Mount Nebo and planted an olive tree as a symbol for peace.

Umm ar Rassas: This place between Madaba and Kerak had been mentioned in the Bible. Today you find here some of the best Byzantine church mosaics in the Middle East. Spectacular is a large carpet showing Old and New Testament cities on the Jordan River. Interesting to see is a 15 meter high Byzantine tower, built by early Christian monks. Umm ar Rassas is listed as a World Heritage Site.

 

Traces of the Prophets
10-day tour incl. an excursion to Jerusalem

Day 1: Arrival Amman
Upon arrival at Queen Alia Airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel in Amman.

Day 2: Amman – Jerash – Anjara – Umm Qais – Amman overnight
In the north of Amman you visit the best preserved example of a Roman provincial city, Jerash with its theaters, churches, temples, a Nymphaeum and colonnaded streets. We go on to Anjara to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of the Mountain. Here Virgin Mary and Jesus had a rest during a journey. We head on further north to Umm Qais, the antic Gadara, with its Hellenistic-Roman remains. According to the Bible Jesus healed here demoniacs and the demons runing as swines into the Sea of Galilee. From Gadara you have a magnificent view over this Sea, the Jordan Valley and the Golan Heights. Return to your hotel in Amman.

Day 3: Amman – Jerusalem – Madaba Overnight
Early in the morning we cross the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge to Israel and drive to the Holy City Jerusalem. We start with a panoramic view from the Mount of Olives. Then we visit the holy sites of the three monotheistic religions: the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock and then we continue to the Via Dolorosa, which leads us to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Jesus was crucified and buried. After lunch we drive towards the Jordan Valley, cross the border to Jordan and drive to Madaba for overnight.

Day 4: Madaba – Mt. Nebo – Baptism Site – Elijah’s Hill – Madaba Overnight
We visit the mosaic city of Madaba, where the oldest map of the Holy Land exists on the floor of St. George’s Church. More mosaics can be seen in the Archaeological Park, which houses some masterpieces from Byzantine churches. 10 minutes away from Madaba Mt. Nebo is located, the burial site of Moses overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. Here you view 4th and 6th century Byzantine churches with wonderful mosaics. Our next destination is Bethany at the Jordan River, the place where the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist took place. We also have a look at Elijah’s Hill where Prophet Elijah ascended to heaven before we drive back to Madaba.

Day 5: Mukawir – King’s Highway – Kerak – Noah’s Tomb – Petra Overnight
On the 700 meter high hill Mukawir, in biblical times known as Machaerus, had been a great palace, where Herod Antipas imprisoned and killed John the Baptist. We reach the hilltop over a path. Still to see are towers, walls and baths. Along the King’s Highway, where already Prophet Moses walked, we drive through the land of Edom and Moab to Kerak. We visit here the great Crusader castle and the tomb of Prophet Noah. Afterwards we head on further to the south to Petra for overnight.

Day 6: Petra
The red-rose city of Petra is a unique destination. More than 2000 years ago the area was settled by the Nabataeans who carved magnificent buildings in the sandstone. We walk through the Siq, an immense crack in the stone, to see at the end Petra's most impressive monument: the Treasury. Famous buildings are also the Monastery El Deir, Qasr al-Bint, the Amphitheater and the Royal Tombs. Overnight in hotel.

Day 7: Petra – Wadi Rum
Till the early afternoon we have spare-time to visit Petra once again or just to relax in the hotel or a café. Then we depart to the dramatic desert landscape of Wadi Rum. By jeep we drive to sand dunes, spectacular rock formations and through canyons. Dinner will be served at a Bedouin camp in the desert where we also spend the night. And maybe you have the same feeling like Lawrence of Arabia who described Wadi Rum as „god-like“.

Day 8: Wadi Araba – Lot's Cave – Dead Sea – Amman Overnight
In the morning we drive through Wadi Araba along the Israeli border to the Dead Sea. En route we visit Lot's Cave near the town of Safi. Here the Prophet lived together with his daughters. We head on to the beach at the Dead Sea where you can relax the rest of the day and float in the salty water. In the evening we drive to Amman for overnight.

Day 9: Amman City Tour
Today we visit important places in Amman. The town has already been mentioned in the Bible as Rabbath-Ammon, the capital of the Ammonites. Our tour will take you to the Citadel with its remains from the Roman to the Byzantine period, the Archaeological and the Folklore Museums, the Roman Theater and the Coptic Church. The rest of the day is for leisure or you discover parts of the capital on your own account.

Day 10: Departure
Transfer to the airport to say farewell and to board your international flight.

Contact us for more information or send us your requirements.