The Place where Prophet Moses Breathed His Last Breath
Mount Nebo,
Madaba, Jordan
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The Entrance Gate
Photo:Bulbul Sur |
Mount Nebo is
a mountain ridge in ancient Moab, now western Jordan. It is in Madaba
Governorate, 10 km. west of the Roman Byzantine town of Madaba. Mount Nebo’s
height is 2330 ft. (approx. 710 m). It is a famous pilgrimage site for
Christians because it is associated with Moses’ last days.According to the Bible it is the last place where he was ever seen. The other name of
the site is Pisgah.
According to the final chapter of the Book of
Deuteronomy, Moses ascended Mount Nebo to view the ‘Promised Land’, Land of
Cannan which God said that he would not enter. In Deuteronomy, 32:49 mentions
God’s command to Moses, “Ascend this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo which
is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho.” Moses died in Moab. He was buried in
Mount Nebo but nobody knows the exact place of his burial.
The most popular theory is, Moses was buried in a secret place by the Lord himself.Another theory suggests Moses simply ascended to heaven from Mount Nebo. A third states that Moses was buried in Mount Nebo by a handful of his most trusted followers.
Mount Nebo’s
first church was constructed in the 2nd half of the 4th
century to commemorate the place of Moses’ death.
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Memorial Church of Moses
courtesy: Carole Raddato commons.wikimedia.org |
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A Mountain-side View of Memorial Church of Moses
Photo: Bulbul Sur |
Mount Nebo
has immense spiritual significance since times immemorial. In 2 Maccabees 2:4-2:7
written around 100 BC, it is said that after being warned by God, prophet
Jeremiah took the Arc of the Covenant, the Tabernacle and the Altar of Incense
and buried them in a cave in Mount Nebo before the Babylonian invasion took
place. He informed his followers that the hiding place should remain unknown
“until the time that God should gather his people again together and receive
them unto mercy.” (Source: en.wikipedia.org)
Jubilaeum Monument
This monolith on Mount Nebo,created by Vincenzo Bianchi, was erected by the Catholic Church in celebration of the Pope Paul II's visit to Mount Nebo. The Latin inscription at its base, "Unus Deus Pater Omnium Super Omnes" is taken from Ephesians 4:6 in the Bible which means 'One God and Father of all ,who is above all.'
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Jubilaeum 2000 A.D.
Photo:supplied |
It is stated that this was the place where God showed Moses the promised land and from this high point Moses looked out over Cannan.
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Moses' Stated Place of View of the Promised Land
Photo :Bulbul Sur |
The Abu Badd
The Abu Badd
is a huge, circular stone positioned behind the memorial church of Moses at
Mount Nebo. The signboard explains that it is a rolling stone used as a
fortified door of a Byzantine monastery in the old village of Faisaliyah, once
known as Kufer Abu Badd.
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Abu Badd
Photo Courtesy:Supplied |
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A Close-Up of the Stone
Photo:Bulbul Sur |
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The Signboard
Photo: Bulbul Sur
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Moses’ spring
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Jordan Valley
Courtesy: Britchi Mirela commons.wikimedia.org |
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The Spring in the Shaded Area
Photo :Bulbul Sur
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From the top
of Mount Nebo we get an expansive view of the Jordan River valley. Amidst the
wilderness, sparse vegetation, some olive trees, there is a spring amidst a cluster
of greenery. It is said that this spring is one of the two places (the other is Moses' Spring,Wadi Musa) where Prophet
Moses is believed to have obtained water by striking a rock. Six, giant
eucalyptus trees indicate the spot and there is an occasional waterfall over
the tip of the rocks. There are ruins of churches nearby.
The Brazen Serpent Monument
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The Brazen Serpent
Photo Courtesy:Supplied |
The Serpent
Cross or the Brazen Serpent Monument on Mount Nebo was created by the Italian
artist Giovanni Fantoni. It is of great religious significance because it
represents the Bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness and also the cross
upon which Jesus was crucified.
In the Hebrew
Bible it is mentioned that after their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites became
impatient while roaming in the wilderness. They complained against Yehovah and
Moses (Num. 21:4-5). Hence, God sent ‘fiery serpents’ among them and many
Israelites lost their lives. They repented before Moses and asked him to plead to God to take away the serpents. Moses prayed to God who told him ,”Make thee a fiery
serpent, and set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass that everyone that
is bitten, when he seeth it, shall live (Num.21:4-9).
In the Book
of Mormon, Prophet Alma compared the brazen serpent to a type of Christ and
exhorted the people of Antionum to look to Christ and spiritually live.
In the Gospel
of John, Jesus discusses his destiny with a Jewish teacher named Nicodemus and mentions
the serpent, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so
must the son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.”(John 3:14-16).
In view of
such spiritual implication of the serpent, the artist Giovanni Fantoni created
a symbolic bronze serpent on Mount Nebo. In this modern sculpture,he merged two aspects of the serpent: the
life-saving bronze serpent set up by Moses and the cross upon which Jesus was
crucified; thus creating a unique piece which in spite of being artistic, is
replete with religious connotations.
Mount Nebo is
one of the ‘most revered’ holy sites of Jordan.
If the sky is clear, the pilgrims can see the everlasting vista that
Moses had seen at the command of God…the Dead Sea, the Jordan River Valley,
Jericho, Bethlehem and the distant hills of Jerusalem.
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A Section of the Promised Land
Photo: Bulbul Sur |
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A Map on Mount Nebo Indicating the Distance of Biblical Places
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
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