Tobiad Art

Ron Wakeman (Tell Jalul excavations, 2004?) photographs a lion/leopard carved on the exterior wall of the palace at Araq al-Amir (Jordan).

The 3rd c BC palace was at the center of a large estate in the Wadi al-Seer. It was surrounded by a lake and it is likely that the feisty feline functioned as a fountain with water flowing from its fauces!

The estate at Araq al-Amir belonged to a powerful Tobiad family known from sources inside and outside the Bible. See Josephus (Ant XIII 230–233) for more.

Goddess of Gadara

Amy Deeds (Barr) stands beside the seated goddess of Gadara (Umm Qays), Jordan. The goddess holds a cornucopia in her left hand and is believed by most to be a 2nd c AD depiction of Tyche. I shot this slide (yes, that's how it used to be done) in the western theater back in 1986 (We were digging in Abila that summer). The statue is in its original position in the lowest row of the seats of the orchestra.

Gadara was one of several cities (more than 10!) that were part of a league remembered in the NT as the Decapolis. Gadara is well-known for the healing story of the "Gadarene demoniac" (Mt 8:28-34, Mk 5:1-20, and Lk 8:26-39).

Desert Drive

Sand cruising in the Wadi Rum, Jordan.

Wadi Rum

Sure, I’ve herd of camels.

A Compelling View

This biblical mountain isn't much as far as mountains go. But it offers a compelling view.

Have a look at the summit of Mt Nebo (or Siyagha). That’s the Memorial Church of Moses up there, surrounded by other buildings including an interpretive center, the remains of an ancient and modern monastery.

Man-killing Bloom

When describing Tarsus, the home city of the Apostle Paul, I adjust my voice to a reverent tone and speak of it as a center of first-century scholarship. Case in point: Pedanus Dioscorides. The life of this famous physician (and Tarsus resident) overlapped that of Paul. Between AD 50 and 70 Pedanus wrote a five-volume work on medicine that set the standard for 1,500 years of herbal remedies.

Among the plants he describes is the Nerium oleander (oleander may be drawn from the Greek, "man-killer"!). Pedanus says eating it or drinking its broth will "kill most four-footed creatures." However, it may be diluted with wine as an antidote against "the bites of venomous creatures."

I'd get a second opinion from Dr. Luke.

I captured this shot of Nerium oleander in the Wadi ath-Thamad in central Jordan. And by the way, I didn't see any snakes.

Border Town

Rooftop view to the acropolis of Madaba, Jordan.

Madaba is a modern city just to the south of Amman. But beneath this veneer of concrete and steel are the remains of the human past that go back thousands of years. It is mentioned in the Bible (Num 21:30, Josh 13:9) as well as in ancient texts outside of the bible (Mesha Stele). It was a border town with Moabite roots.

Shwarma Shudders

My heart convulses when I return to the Middle East and find my first plate of shawarma.

(For those who don’t know, a shawarma is built around slow-roasted spit-turned meat—often chicken—mixed with a balance of tangy, garlicky, and savory elements all wrapped together in flatbread and the flavor, like this sentence, goes on and on and on. The Jordanian version is often pressed on a griddle and resembles a Turkish döner, although here the bread is thinner.)

Is it excitement? Is it a heart-attack?

Absolutely!

"Four Corners," Middle East style.

In a moment, you can see Jordan, Saudi, Egypt, and Israel-Palestine (you can't put your foot on the intersection, tho.)

In the Rum. Gateway to the Deep desert.

Checking out a campsite in the Wadi Rum, southern Jordan.

Jordan's Desert Highway

Jordan's Desert Highway is a busy artery that links this desert country to its port on the Red Sea.

The other side of the Dead Sea

Midianites and memories of Moses are found on the other side of the Dead Sea.