“These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.”John 1:28
Many biblical journeys begin east of the Jordan. From here Israel crossed into the Promised Land after the wilderness wanderings, from Nebo Moses saw it from afar, and “beyond Jordan” John baptised – here the public ministry of Jesus began. This tour turns the spotlight on present-day Jordan as a landscape of the Bible.
It begins in Amman, the Rabbath-Ammon of the Old Testament, and leads into the cities of the Decapolis, which appear in the Gospels as the country of the Gerasenes and Gadarenes. On the east bank of the Jordan lie the excavations that have been regarded since early Christian times as the site of Jesus' baptism. From Mount Nebo the view stretches across into the “Promised Land”, in Madaba a Byzantine mosaic map shows the Holy Land, and at the fortress of Machaerus the death of John the Baptist is remembered.
Along the ancient King's Highway with Umm er-Rasas and the Crusader castle of Shobak you reach Petra, the rock city of the Nabataeans. Wadi Rum with its sandy plains and rock walls forms the finale.
Joab and David take Rabbah, the royal city of the Ammonites – today's Amman.
The healing of the possessed man in the country of the Gerasenes leads into the land of the Decapolis.
Matthew places the same event in the country of the Gadarenes, high above the lake.
John baptises beyond Jordan and bears witness to Jesus as the Lamb of God.
From the summit Moses beholds the whole land, which he will no longer enter.
Medeba is named in the inheritance of the tribes east of the Jordan.
According to ancient tradition, the beheading of John the Baptist is linked with this fortress of Herod.
Israel asks Edom for leave to pass through its territory by the king's high way.
Tip: bring your own Bible – at each place we open the relevant passage together.
Bible quotations: King James Version.
Amman Airport → Amman
You travel to Amman independently. After a drive of around 40 kilometres from the airport you check in at the hotel for the first two nights. The evening offers an opportunity to arrive in a new country and to get to know your fellow travellers. Even the city's name points back to the Bible: Amman is ancient Rabbah, the capital of the Ammonites, of which the Books of Samuel tell.
Amman → Gilead → Jerash (Gerasa) → Amman
From Citadel Hill you overlook Amman, walk down to the Roman theatre and visit the new national museum, the Jordan Museum. In the afternoon the drive leads through the land of Gilead to Jerash, Hellenistic-Roman Gerasa, a city of the Decapolis. On the vast excavation site you walk together to the theatres, across the forum and along the colonnaded street, and to some of the Byzantine churches before returning to the hotel.
Amman → Umm Qais (Gadara) → Jordan Valley → Baptism Site → Dead Sea
Umm Qais, ancient Gadara, lies high above the Jordan Valley and the Yarmuk. Between the octagonal church and the theatre the view opens to the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights. Through the Jordan Valley you reach the excavations on the east bank of the river that have been regarded since early Christian times as the site of Jesus' baptism. If possible, you meet representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church there. At the Dead Sea you check in at the hotel for two nights.
Dead Sea → Mount Nebo → Madaba → Mukawir (Machaerus) → Dead Sea
On Mount Nebo you stand where Moses beheld the Promised Land: across the Jordan plain and the Judean Desert into the “Promised Land”. In Madaba you see the famous Byzantine mosaic map of the Holy Land and have the opportunity to visit other churches. Finally you climb up to Mukawir, the former Herodian fortress of Machaerus high above the Dead Sea, with which the death of John the Baptist is associated.
Dead Sea → Umm er-Rasas → Shobak → Petra
At Umm er-Rasas the Church of St Stephen holds superbly preserved mosaics depicting cities from both Testaments; the site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nearby rises the tower of a stylite, a pillar saint. Further south you visit Shobak Castle, the Crusaders' “Montréal”, which fell to Saladin just a few years after its completion. In the evening you reach Petra and check in at the hotel for three nights.
Siq → Khazne Firaun → High Place of Sacrifice → Wadi Farasa → Theatre
On foot you go through the Siq, the narrow entrance gorge, to the façade of the Khazne Firaun (the Treasury). After selected tomb monuments you climb to the lofty High Place of Sacrifice, Zibb Atuf, which affords a wide view over the centre of Petra. The descent through Wadi Farasa leads past the Lion Monument, the Garden Tomb and the Painted Triclinium. Along the Cardo Maximus you return to the theatre hewn from the rock and the Theatre Necropolis.
Petra
The three nights in Petra leave room to experience the rock city on more than a single day. This day is available for further impressions in Petra and its surroundings; your guide will agree on what is best with the group on site. Those who prefer to take things more slowly will find time to let the experiences of the past days sink in and to gather strength for the excursion to Wadi Rum.
Petra → Wadi Rum → Desert Highway → Amman
In Wadi Rum mighty rock walls frame wide, ochre-coloured sandy plains. Three Bedouin tribes still roam this wilderness with their herds today; the Nabataean incense route once passed through here, and later the area became famous through Lawrence of Arabia. You drive into some of the side valleys by 4x4. In the afternoon you return along the Desert Highway – a day's distance of about 430 kilometres – to Amman for the last night.
Amman → Amman Airport
On the last morning the transfer takes you to Amman airport, about 35 kilometres from the hotel. From there you set off on your journey home. In your luggage you carry the images of a landscape that often appears only on the margins of the Bible and yet tells so much: from Nebo across the Jordan to the rock walls of Petra.
The tour price depends on dates, group size and room allocation. You will receive your personal offer – free of charge and without obligation.
Enquire →⛔ No shopping stops: carpet, jewellery or leather showrooms are not part of this tour.
The price is available on request. We will prepare a personal offer for you – free and without obligation.
No, you travel there independently. On request we will enquire about suitable flight connections to Amman for you.
Petra is explored on foot, including a climb to the High Place of Sacrifice and a descent through Wadi Farasa. Good footwear and sure-footedness are important.
East of the Jordan lie Mount Nebo, the baptism site of Jesus, Machaerus and cities of the Decapolis – places that play a part in both Testaments.
If possible, you will meet representatives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church at the baptism site.
Beyond Jordan – Bible Tour through Jordan from Amman to Petra
