Wednesday, 25th September 2019
Our destination for today was literally over the road from our hotel. The visitor centre at the Petra Archaeological Park was a doorway to one of the ‘7 Wonders of the World’. As we descended the stony path, we were greeted by stunning sandstone cliffs that gradually revealed their secrets. This was the land of the Nabateans who carved extraordinary monuments into the surrounding cliffs to form a sophisticated society in the barren desert. Elaborately decorated rock faced tombs of the Nabateans and caves recently occupied by the Bedouins line the cliff faces. Following the contours of the ‘Siq’ (shaft) is an aqueduct channel carved into the sandstone to allow a channel of water to run down the mountain into deep cisterns to sustain this ancient civilisation in the desert. Walking through this crevice known as the ‘Siq’ was an awe-inspiring experience and a photographer’s paradise!
Every turn opened up another stunning scene begging to be photographed. The natural colours of the sandstone against the bright blue sky with the sun piercing between the rocks was truly amazing. The further we descended the more impressive the tomb carvings became. Then we reached the famous ‘Treasury’ which was featured in the movie ‘Indiana Jones – Last Crusade’. This forty metre high façade carved into the cliff face is a magnificent, intricate rock craving from the first century that has been remarkably preserved to the present day.
Beyond this main attraction, we found the ‘High Place of Sacrifice’, a Roman style theatre that can seat 4,000 spectators, royal tombs, the church and other equally spectacular world heritage monuments from this ancient city. There was so much to take in along this promenade of historic masterpieces. Along the way, were peddlers, market stalls, donkey and camel rides and other conveniences for the large number of tourists who visit this attraction. Unlike the locations we have visited throughout this trip, the locals trying to sell their products or services actually added to the experience. It brought these static displays to life with the hustle and bustle of village life that gave some sense of how this society may have functioned. You could almost imagine the travelling caravans passing through the once vibrant community. In fact, it was just outside of Petra where Moses struck the rock (Numbers 20:7-11) when the Israelites were perishing from thirst in the desert. It is said that Moses sent a message to King Rekem of Petra, asking permission to pass through Edom, but the king refused causing Moses and the Israelites to take the longer route around this valley. Maybe the king’s refusal was to preserve the precious water he had stored up in their cisterns? This land is full of stories that could take a lifetime to uncover. Today’s adventure certainly raised my curiosity and interest to learn more about this fascinating place that I walked through today.
When we returned to the visitor centre this afternoon, we were looking for a souvenir for our son Adam, which led us to this small store where we met the owner Magid. His shop was without power, which opened up a conversation that went well beyond us spending a few ‘Dina’ in his shop. Magid shared his heart and soul with us, revealing the very dark place of hopelessness he was in and his feeling of despair. We were deeply moved by his story but felt somewhat helpless as we will probably never see him again when we leave Jordan tomorrow. So, I felt prompted in my spirit to promise him that we would pray for this Muslim man from Petra. I asked his permission to take his photo as a reminder for me to fulfil my promise. He seemed somewhat uplifted by this commitment of prayer and asked us to start praying tonight, as he is presently trying to sell some land. He was so grateful for this conversation that he refused to take my money for our purchase and even broke Muslim protocol by reaching out to shake Ness’ hand. He said, “I don’t normally shake the hand of a woman, but there is something different about you.” We left his shop feeling this was a God-ordained encounter and with a sense that His Spirit was present in this encounter.
After dinner, our group assembled for a final time of devotion together. Our leaders Graham led a time of sharing about the highlights of this pilgrimage. After two weeks of travelling the Holy Land, there was much to share; so many experiences, divine encounters, ‘aha’ moments that impacted each one of us in different ways. Yet, something I believe we all share in common is that we will return to our respective appointments different people to who we were before we embarked on this pilgrimage. With just one day left before we depart Amman tomorrow night, we have so much to give thanks for – to God first, and to The Salvation Army for granting us this opportunity.
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