Our first stop of on the second day in Jordan was Rabbah Ammon. This city is considered the "city of waters" because it has powerful springs. The Jabbok wadi even originates from here. Rabbah Ammon is located on a section of Senonian rock that is surrounded on three sides by Cenomanian rock. This orients the land to the east because this is the one open side not touched by Cenomanian. Rabbah Ammon is also the intersection for the King's Highway (that stays closer to the Rift Valley) and the Desert Highway (which, obviously, stays near the desert). Ammon can also connect itself to the west through the Fariah Valley, but only if it can get through the Dome of Gilead. Since connections are always one of the most important things, Ammon naturally will try to reach into the Dome of Gilead and also the Medeba Plateau.
One can also tell that a lot of sharing of ideas took place in this land. This can be seen at Rabbah Ammon in the Israelite style walls. It was common for the Israelites to interchange the blocks on the wall with the long side facing out and then the short side (called "headers and stretchers"). Here this is also the technique used by the Ammonites.
From Rabbah Ammon we traveled to the huge and impressive Decapolis city of Garasa. Believe me, we walked all over this site, and I am sure it took us more than an hour. First, we stopped at the Hippodrome. This is the stadium used for chariot races. Apparently, though unfortunately I didn't personally see it, one of the students from my group got to ride a horse in the Hippodrome. She loves horses, so it definitely was the highlight of her day (and probably entire trip). From here we "pressed on" (our guides favorite phrase) to the temple of Zeus. This temple is literally about fifteen feet from a theater. It would be similar to connecting a church to a movie theater, so one can get some religion in before they are mindlessly entertained.
At this first theater we got to listen to a man on the bagpipe and one on the drums play music. Marcus, a student in my group, actually joined them on the drums during one song. Also, later after they played Amazing Grace (per our request) students got to dance in the theater joined by another tourist. It was really fun and amusing to watch. We next went down the Cardo, or main street. Apparently, when the columns are raised at certain points it is an indicator that this is the entrance to an important building or commerce area. We traveled farther into the site and got to see another temple as well as three different churches. During the Byzantine era Christians would destroy previously pagan temples and build churches over them. One of them at Garasa even had an inscription over the door that said basically that. The mosaics on the floor of the churches are slowly disappearing as being keep walking on them. Zafer, our tour guide, also said that tour guides in the past would take a piece of the mosaic and give it to their tourists, which is another reason why they are slowly disappearing. It is really too bad that such a beautiful piece of history is sometimes not well preserved.
So we continued through the site and came back around to the restaurant located there for lunch. After lunch we left Garasa and stopped near part of the Jabbok River. Here we read Genesis 28:12f, 32:6 where Jacob crosses the Jabbok on his way back to Israel (after he spent his time with Laban acquiring wives). Jacob means "deceiver", which he basically was with his brother and father. However, later Jacob is renamed to Israel, which means "the one who has striven with God". We discussed that Israel chooses to believe God and walk back into the promise and the Promised Land. He doesn't let go and God blesses his faithfulness.
Our last stretch of the night was a four our bus ride to Petra. We got in around 9:30pm. That next morning we were going to get up early and spend our morning in the beautiful site of ancient Petra.
~Jennilee~
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