Upon leaving the airport in Jordan, we were immediately confronted with a dry and barren land with a distinct ancient Palestinian feel, as we drove through the capital Amman. From the limestone architecture to the olive and fig trees lining the roads, you felt a real connection with the land that Jesus would have travelled and the people He would have met along the way. The rocky ground, dry soil and rolling hills bare of vegetation, the Jordanian countryside had an ancient, rugged beauty. Yet, against this backdrop, the stain of modernity littered the countryside in much the same way that the stain of sin litters our lives.
The highlight of this part of our journey was a visit to the Greco-Roman ruins of Jerash. These are the most well-preserved ruins in Jordan that display the nexus of Greek culture and Roman infrastructure in a Palestinian world. I was particularly captured by the Agora, a bustling meeting place where people gathered to discuss philosophy and to buy and sell in the marketplace. Walking through these ruins was an extraordinary step back in time.
Crossing the border into Israel was a stark contrast to Jordan. The rocky, barren land gave way to rich, fertile soil. The banks of the Jordan River became lush with vegetation and to my surprise, eucalyptus trees that were imported from Australia. The pomegranates, olives and figs that lined the street stalls diversified into greenhouses full of bananas, mangos and other subtropical plantations. Then, as the Jordan River reached the Sea of Galilee, the land and the city of Tiberius really came alive! Within kilometres of crossing the border, it was like you leaped into another part of the world, and even, period of time.
Upon leaving the airport in Jordan, we were immediately confronted with a dry and barren land with a distinct ancient Palestinian feel, as we drove through the capital Amman. From the limestone architecture to the olive and fig trees lining the roads, you felt a real connection with the land that Jesus would have travelled and the people He would have met along the way. The rocky ground, dry soil and rolling hills bare of vegetation, the Jordanian countryside had an ancient, rugged beauty. Yet, against this backdrop, the stain of modernity littered the countryside in much the same way that the stain of sin litters our lives.
The highlight of this part of our journey was a visit to the Greco-Roman ruins of Jerash. These are the most well-preserved ruins in Jordan that display the nexus of Greek culture and Roman infrastructure in a Palestinian world. I was particularly captured by the Agora, a bustling meeting place where people gathered to discuss philosophy and to buy and sell in the marketplace. Walking through these ruins was an extraordinary step back in time.
Crossing the border into Israel was a stark contrast to Jordan. The rocky, barren land gave way to rich, fertile soil. The banks of the Jordan River became lush with vegetation and to my surprise, eucalyptus trees that were imported from Australia. The pomegranates, olives and figs that lined the street stalls diversified into greenhouses full of bananas, mangos and other subtropical plantations. Then, as the Jordan River reached the Sea of Galilee, the land and the city of Tiberius really came alive! Within kilometres of crossing the border, it was like you leaped into another part of the world, and even, period of time.
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