Day 1 , Sat 19 May
Arrival Sheikh Hussein - Um Qais - Madaba - Nebo

Early arrival at Sheikh Hussein, meet and assist , drive to reach Gadra now known Umm Aqis Bibilcal reference : when he Jesus arrived at the other side in the region of Gadarences , two demon possessed men coming from the toms met him.

Historical record: Umm Qais in known asa Gadara in the Bible , as well as in other ancient which is in addition to Amman , Jerash & Pella , was also once one of Decapolis cities. Preched on a splendid hiltop overlooking the Jordan Valley , and the Sea of Galilee and with its unique appeal . umm Qais boasts impressive ancient remains . such as the stunning black basalt theatre , the basilica and adjacent countryard strewn with nicely carved black sarcophagi , the colonnaded main street and a side street lined with shops , an underground mausoleum , two baths , a Nymphaeum , a city gate and the faint on outlines of what was a massive hippodrome. Next city to encounter is Madaba , "the City of Mosaics". The city , best known for its spectacular Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics , is home to the famous 6th century mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land with two million pieces of colored stone , the map depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns as far as the nile Delta. Only 7 Km from Madaba Lies Mount Nebo Biblical refernces : go up into Mount nebo in Moab , across from Jericho , and view Canaan , the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession . there on the mountain that you have climbed you will die.

Historical record: Mt Nebo is revered as a holy place because it is where Moses is reported to have died , although his tomb has never been found , the site of the endearing monastery Built by some Franciscan Priests as a sanctuary and a prayer place in memorial of Prohpet Moses who took the last look at the Promised Land , they perpetrated themselves to serve the piligrims who comes to pay tribute to Prophet Moses place of death and burial. After taking a look at the Holy Land from Mt. Nebo and if the weather was clear maybe you could see Jerusalem . back to Amman and dinner with overnight at Grand Palace 4* hotel .


Day 2 , Sun 20 May
Baptism - Dier Ein Abat - Machaerus

After breakfast , drive to baptism site (Bethany) near Dead Sea to experience Bethany Beyond-the-Jordan and the Baptismal Archaeological Park , the wilderness home of John the Baptost , where Jesus was immered in the baptismal springs and where Elijah ascended to heaven in a chriot of fire. Visits to Churchs , Tell mnar Elias , tell Kharar , this tour will be around 3 hrs. Tell Mar Elias ("El-yass") , Eljah's Hill. The small hill has te ruins of three churches , three caves and three baptism pools, accessable bu a wooden catwalk . starting on the west side, a cave forms the apse of a small Byzantine Church , with small south and east aspses and a few fragments of a mosaic floor.

Northwest of this are the covered ruins of a larger Byzantine church built into the apse is a black stone commemorating the fore tat accompanied Elijah's ascent into heaven. The mosaic floor includes a cross made of diamond shapes amd a Greek inscription dating it to th etime of Rhotorious. Up a couple steps on the norhteastern side ot th etell are two pools from the Roman period, one cut later with the addition of a 14m-deep well. Further around the tell is a large rectagular pool , plastered on the bottom and with four steps leading into it. This is believed to have been used for group baptims. A few meters south of the tell are a number of other sires of interest. The major one is a large freestanding arch, which was constrcuted in 1999 out of 63 stones to commemorate the death of King Hussein , who was 63 years old. On March 21,2000, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass beneth this arch, and ever since it has been known as the Church of John Paul II.

A few meters from the arch are the foundations of a large rectangular building that has been prayer hall, with some fragments of amosaic floor.

Also nearby is a sustem of water channels , pools , a well (pulled out of its original roumd shape by movements of the earth), and a large cistern with its original plastered interior . A smaller cistern was later built nearby. Water was channeled to these from several kilometers away in order to seve all the baptisms that took place here. Large Baptism Pool and Caves Paths lead down from Tell Mar Elias to a path on the south side of Wadi Kharrar , which passes several Byzantine sites as it heads west towards the Jordan River . one of these about 500m west of the tell , is a complex of hermits cells . nearby is the Large Baptism Pool, fed by spring water. It is madew of rough stone on the bottom section but finely dressed ashlars at the top . directly ab ove the pool is a promontory on which a building was excavated . affording fine views of the valley , it may have beenn a piligrms hostel. Baptism still take place here today . just west of the pool is the zor, a deep flood plain flanking the River Jordan on both sides . Steps provide accesss to two Byzantine hermits' caves with prayer niches . one of them also has three apses an 8th-century account records the sojourn here of a monk who fell ill on his way from Jerusalem to Mount Sinai while recovering from fever in one of these caves , he had a vision of John the Baptist , who said to him , "This little cave is greater than

Mount Sinai, for our Lord Jesus Christ himself visited me here" "Jungle of the Jordan and Church Ruins as Wadi Kharrar approaches the Jordan River , the change in the environment is dramatic and it becomes clear why Prophet Jeremaih described "the jungle of the jordan"

Back to Amman hotel , dinner and over night


Day 2 , Sun 21 May
Breakfast , group trnasfer to Queen Alia , travel back to Sydney