Moses' Spring

Moses’ Spring

While travelling to Petra from Amman, our guide suddenly stopped our bus at a place just outside Petra. It was sundown and already dark. From our bus we could see the lighted city of Petra on the hill. To our right was a simple, small building but of great historical and Biblical importance. In it exists Moses’ Spring.

Moses' Spring

Location

Moses’ Spring is located in Wadi Musa, a town in Southern Jordan and about 250 km from Amman, capital of Jordan.  Wadi Musa is the nearest town to Petra’s 5^th century BC archaeological site. Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses) is named after Moses because he stopped at this exact place and as soon as he struck a rock, spring water gushed out.   

History

During Exodus, Prophet Moses and the Israelites were passing through the Petra area in Edom when Moses struck a rock with his staff and brought forth water for his thirsty followers. This site, located along the Petra Highway, is called Ain Musa (Moses Well). Nabateans/Nabataeans, the Arab nomadic tribes who roamed the Arabian Desert in classical antiquity, built channels that carried water from this spring to the city of Petra.  

The Rock that Moses Struck with his Rod

According to the Bible, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land but could only see it from Mount Nebo because he struck the rock with his rod to bring forth water, instead of speaking to it, as God had commanded (Number 20:12-24).

The spring still flows and waters the groves while running down the hill. This three-domed, single-level building is an immense historical and holy place, but somehow it is not highlighted enough as a tourist attraction like Petra.Inside the edifice is the rock on which Moses supposedly struck and also the channel of water contained in concrete structures.Some tourists were filling bottles with this holy water.    

Channel of Water 

Photographs: Bulbul Sur

Tags: Moses, Moses' Spring, Wadi Musa, Ain Musa, Petra Highway