Madaba, Jordan

We had a wonderful time at Petra, but now it was time to head back north towards Amman to see Mount Nebo. On our way we stopped in a small city named Madaba to see the oldest known map of Israel made out of mosaics. There were other mosaics in the church as well.
The Arab headdress has no religious significance our guide, Achman told us. They are a tradition. One that a lot of men in Jordan adhere to.

When we asked him about the burkas the women wear, he didn't have much to say. He told us it is important for the women to be modest. It is a great temptation for the man if the women are not covered up.

It was our first time to walk in the streets of a city, and we all kept pretty close together. I wish we would have had time to shop in the stores along the way. They looked interesting.

The guy in the blue shirt is Achman, and the man in white with the hat is Michael Wilcox.

This church was build on top of an older church. It seems everything is built on top of something else. But It is cool they look for the remnants of earlier civilizations underneath.

Achman teaching us the map in mosaics on the floor of the original church has been determined to be built around 500 AD. From the map, sites have been located and excavated in Jerusalem and the map has been found to be accurate.

The map is not whole, but these are the parts that were preserved. They were digging down to secure the floor of the new church and as they dug, they found the original floor of the old church and this Mosaic map. They then excavated down and used the original floor the for new church.

Each of the pictures on the walls are made of mosaics too. They call this the Mosaic Church as well.

When you enter, you can pick up a candle, light it and stick it into the sand. I think it is a prayer. We didn't try it, not being catholic. I wouldn't want to do anything sacrelegious.

The map on the floor.

On interesting thing. Inside the churches you cannot have an educator teach, so you have to learn about it outside and then go inside and look. Many times it causes me to have a question, such as what do the words mean. But then I forgot and never do ask the question. So I don't know.

It is amazing to me how bright the color of the tiles have remained after all these years. It really is beautiful!

The details are amazing!!

Closeups of pictures hanging in the church. All these pictures are made of mosaics, I cannot imagine the time and patience it took to create these pictures.

Raising of Lazarus.

The triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Preparing Christ's body for burial.

I think this is the transfiguration of Christ.

Presenting the Christ child in the temple to Simion and Christ as a child teaching in the temple.

We didn't arrive at our hotel until about 10:00 p.m. and I heard the guides talking about how they may have to cut out the stop at Madaba next time. I'm glad we got to see it, I think it was worth the late arrival in Israel.