As in other ancient cities, the site itself has strategic military and economic significance as it is situated along mountain passes and valleys that connect three continents. The Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Israelites, Greeks and Romans all considered this a major vantage point. It was here that the Philistines won a decisive battle against King Saul and hung he and his sons bodies on the city gates.
Another thing that makes this an amazing visit is that so much work has been done here in uncovering the ruins. Almost the entire Roman city has been excavated so that visitors can walk through Roman streets with the columns standing on either side. The bath houses have been reconstructed so that you can see how the steam was released through floor and flowed into spas and pools and steam rooms. Although this city is not mentioned in the New Testament, surely Jesus and the disciples knew of it and may have even visited here as it was a principle Roman city. After the Jewish revolt in 66 A.D. the Roman citizens in this city murdered all of their Jewish neighbors. So much of what is remembered about Bet-Shean has to do with war and bloodshed.
From here we crossed the river over into Jordan. After a brief stop through passport control we changed guides and buses and made our way up to Mount Nebo. This was the place where Moses looked out over the promised land but could go no further. The view from the top of this mountain, also known in the Bible as Pisgah, is spectacular. On a clear night you can see the lights of Jericho, Jerusalem and even Bethlehem from here. The early Christian community was prominent in this area and the modern city of Madaba at the base of Nebo still has a high concentration of Arab believers. Many Western Christians don't realize that there is a large population of Christian Arabs in the Middle East. Sadly, the Christian population here is being pushed out. Our guide is from a prominent Arab Christian family that has lived in this area for generations. "Christianity started here in Jordan with the baptism of Jesus and now we are being sent away just like the early Christians who were sent to the lions" he tells me. Christianity has been in this land since the time of Christ. It only stands to reason that many of the descendents of the early church believers are still here. Recently the remains of a first century church were discovered in the Jordanian town of Malraq. It was a small square building with fish mosaics my guide tells me, reminding me that in the early church, the believers were still so horrified by the cross that the main symbol was the icthus, or fish. The significance of this word is that in the Greek language the letters are the first letters for Jesus Christ God's Son Savior. You find the symbol of the fish in many of the ancient ruins in this part of the world, indicating how important this confession was to early believers.
The ancient church at Nebo displays another significant symbol. On the outside of the church stands a winding snake in the shape of the cross. It signifies the words of Jesus from John 3:14, "Just as the snake was raised in the wilderness so the Son of Man must be lifted up..." Jesus was referring to the passage in Numbers 24 when Moses lifted up the bronze snake as God had instructed him so that the rebellious Israelites could be spared the venum of poisonous snakes in the wilderness. Jesus is the new and better Moses. How great that this church that was built on the site of Moses looking to the promised land would choose this as it's symbol! The church stands as a testiment all through time that unless Jesus be lifted up and we look to Him for salvation, the poison of our sin cannot be healed.
Prayer from Nebo:
Lord God, how grateful we are that you came to us and died on the cross and were lifted up like the bronze snake in the wilderness. You drank the cup of poison so that we could drink from the fountain of life. You were lifted up so that we would not be cast down. You are Jesus Christ God's Son Savior and that confession has been apart of your church down through the centuries and is still be lifted up to this day. We pray for your church in the Middle East and Asia and Africa and the outermost parts of the earth.
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