Mount Nebo

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Less than 10 kilometers west of Madaba is
Mount Nebo, known
as Pisgah in the Bible. It is where the Bible says Moses lived out his remaining
days and viewed the Promised Land which he would never enter (Deuteronomy 34:
1-8). Mt. Nebo offers a fantastic view westward, with a vista that includes the
Dead Sea, the West Bank , Jericho, the Jordan River, and, on a clear day,
Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

There are actually two peaks on Mt. Nebo, Siyagha and al-Mukhayyat. During the
sixth century CE, a Byzantine monastery was constructed at
Siyagha. It was built on the foundations of an even earlier chapel, which was
erected by monks from Egypt during the third or fourth century CE. Although
little remains of the buildings that housed them, the mosaics of this period can
be seen today inside the modern-day shrine atop Siyagha.

The main mosaic, which measures three ...
... by nine meters, depicts the monastic
pastime of wine-making, as well as hunters and an assortment of animals. Outside
the building is an enigmatic Serpentine Cross. The figure represents the bronze
serpent taken up by Moses in the desert, as well as the cross upon which Jesus
was crucified.

Just beyond Feisaliyya, a small town just east of Mt. Nebo, there are the
remains of the village of Nebo. The place, now known as Khirbet al-Mukhayyat,
was mentioned in the Bible as well as on the Mesha Stele. Here, during the
middle of the sixth century, villagers constructed their own church dedicated to
the Saints Lot and Procopius. The floor was, of course, decorated with yet
another rich carpet of mosaics which can be seen today. Travelers to Mt. Nebo
seldom venture on to Khirbet al-Mukhayyat, so a brief detour here might be
especially rewarding.