Jordan/Egypt - January, 2023 

​This winter Sarah and I spent a month abroad avoiding the cold and snow of Minnesota. It was a good choice. We spent the first half in Israel and the second half in India. Sandwiched in-between we led another tour of Jordan and Egypt. After all, we were in the neighborhood! 

If you are familiar with the movie, Lawrence of Arabia, you will be able to picture much of what these two countries still feel like. Adventure, endless deserts, camels, politics and the echoes of war. Indeed much of the movie was filmed on location in these middle eastern countries. Sometimes it felt like we were on the movie set of this epic film during our stay. 

Our tour began at the Allenby Bridge boarder crossing from Israel to Jordan. There we met our bus driver, Mahmoud and our charming guide, Ruby. Both Jordanians, he Muslim and she Christian. Our first stop was the ongoing dig of the infamous Biblical town of Sodom. There we met the directors of the dig and were able to witness their painstaking efforts to uncover layers of this ancient city. 

Next we drove north past the capital of Amman where we picked up box lunches before our stop at Jerash. If you have had the chance to visit the ruins of an ancient city, like the Forum in  Rome, the Acropolis in Athens, or even the remains of Ephesus in Turkey, none of them compare in scale to Jerash. This city was huge and it has not been built over by succeeding generations. You can still walk down the immense ‘Cardo’, or Main Street and imagine the hundreds of shops and vendors who sold their wares along this quarter mile long avenue. There are massive theaters, a hippodrome (think Ben Hur chariot races) and temples galore, most standing with their columns intact. It was breathtaking.  

We then turned south and passed through Amman once again. Ruby pointed out the Palestinian refugee camps which are now full fledged neighborhoods. Erected in 1948 when they were evicted from their homes in Israel, they now, 70 plus years later, comprise a significant portion of the city’s population. These camps/neighborhoods are significantly not far from the Jabok River. This, according to Genesis 32, is where Jacob wrestled with an angel and survived with both a blessing and a wounded hip. Jacob received a new name; Israel, meaning, ‘one who struggles with God’. The struggle between Palestinians and Israelites limps on today.  

Our final destination for our first day was the World Heritage site, Petra. Built in the 1st century by the Nabataean kingdom it is now famous because of the movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark. After a  quick sleep we arose early in the morning to avoid the crowds. Our group walked into the canyons for nearly a mile until we emerged into the spectacular open square. Carved from the rock we stood beneath the towering treasury and other edifices of honor. The stone of Petra is a warm orange that reveals the curves and swirls of layers formed millions of years ago. It is astounding and evokes the spices and caravans that made this city the heart of an ancient trading empire. 

After lunch we drove north to Madaba, known as, ‘The Mosaic City’. It is the location of the oldest map of Jerusalem, discovered only in the 19th century. This mosaic map is embedded in the floor of an ancient church over which the faithful would worship and gaze down upon the Holy Land. When we returned to our bus, I happened to see our driver kneeling on his prayer rug as the Muslim call to prayer had just been sounded from the many minarets in town. Modest, brief and sincere, I paused to consider his reverence. 

On our way to our nightly accommodations we drove by Mt. Nebo, site of Moses’ final gaze into the Promised Land. From our vantage point we too could look across the Jordan River and just make our the city of Jericho. There, Moses’ successor, Joshua and the Israelites would circle the city seven times until its walls came a tumbling down.  

We all had been on the road for long stretches the last two days and it was a relief to enjoy the soothing waters of the Dead Sea. Many of us applied the medicinal muds on our bodies and then floated in the buoyant water. We watched the sun set and felt restored in this entirely unique place 700 feet below sea level. 

In the morning we transferred to the Amman airport where a short flight to Cairo brought us to  Egypt. Here we had two guides, Feydi and Alfred and a new driver, Ahmed. These three had worked together many times before and their frequent laughter obtained the name, ‘the Three Amigos’ by our group.

Our first stop was the amazing Egyptian Museum where Alfred gave us a crash course on all things Pharaonic. It contains the world’s largest collection of mummies and artifacts. We were awed to see the King Tut room and all the golden accouterments so well preserved after 3,300 years.  Our final event for the day was a sailing venture on the Nile River aboard a felucca. These flat bottom sailing vessels are nimble and allowed us to see the city of Cairo up and down its banks. Our barefoot Egyptian sailor danced from bow to aft ably manning the huge sail as he tacked across the glistening water. 

One of the special treats that Sarah and I were able to experience on our tour of Egypt was the vibrant memories of her grandfather, H. P. Linner. In 1930 Dr. Linner sailed around the world aboard a Hamburg-American Line ship. Along the way he recorded his thoughts in a diary, a copy of which we brought along. Every evening Sarah and I would read aloud his adventures, written nearly 100 years ago, on the very sites we were visiting that day. It made the journey into an extended family affair.  

The following day was devoted to exploring the amazing Pyramids, both in Seqqara and Giza. Standing proudly on the western banks of the Nile River, they are a testimony to the ingenuity and raw muscle of the ancient Egyptians. We had excellent explanations on their construction and were able to enter and behold their complex interiors. A wind storm appeared out of nowhere and it felt like we were transported back thousands of years as we walked around these monoliths of stone.  

Who can turn down a camel ride around the Pyramids? Our group saddled up for a fun ride across the desert atop these awkward looking animals. It made for a great photo op and a memory that none of us will soon forget. Getting on and getting off the camels elicited laughter and childlike enjoyment by all.  

Our final day brought us to Old Cairo for a visit to the Coptic Christian section of the city. Along the way we were able to stop at a special place. My father, like millions of Christians around the world, are avid readers of the Scottish devotional, My Utmost for His Highest. It was written by Oswald Chambers during the First World War when he was stationed in Cairo attached to the British Army. He died there in 1917 and was buried in the Commonwealth Cemetary. We had a meaningful moment paying respects to this impactful witness of the faith in the peaceful surround of his memorial marker.  

That day we also visited the Mohamed Ali mosque and citadel. It afforded an amazing vista of Cairo as it is perched high above the city. On our way back to the hotel some of the group hopped off the bus to walk through the medieval souk/market place. We had a fun time ‘getting lost’ in the maze-like streets amidst the sights, sounds and smells of this bustling collision of humanity.  

That night at dinner we celebrated our time together on our caravan through the mideast. It was so fulfilling to walk and see so many places that are mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. The Bible came alive as did our spirits. The monumental structures of these two countries bear testimony to the staying power of its people and the legacy of their courage and faith.