Trip to Israel: Days 15a and b, 16a, 17a, b, and c, and 18: Leaving Israel, Border Crossing, Petra, Mt. Nebo, Tel Al Hammam (Sodom), and Amman, Traveling Home

THE FINAL EPISODE!

This episode clips along at a pretty good pace - a lot to see and hear about, but this recounting of events matches the feeling of trekking across Israel, barely making it into the country of Jordan, and seeing all there is to see before getting out of the country. It all blurred together and happened so quickly that, despite having 3 days in Jordan, it felt more like wandering in the wilderness trying to make our way home, just like the Israelites did thousands of years before.

The border crossing was a nightmare but I got a good story out of it. Jordan itself didn't exactly endear itself to me despite the fact that I am, genuinely, glad that I went. Some of the hostility we came across was, no doubt, due to the recent aggression towards Israel and the long-held aggression between Islam and Judaism, but some was just indicative of a terse and aggressive people. 

Petra was all that it's hyped up to be. Stunning formations built right into the sandstone from an ancient peopled called the Nabateans, possibly related or allied with the Edomites of the Bible. 

Mt. Nebo was surreal, to survey the promised land with a longing for it as we also felt like strangers in a strange land, drew me closer to Moses than I've ever been up to this point. 

Tel Al Hammam seems to be the more scientifically verifiable site of Sodom. Even though it didn't seem to fit the picture I had in my head, scholarship seems to be working its way towards a consensus that this is the correct historical site. 

After a long few days of wandering through the desert, seeing some of the most incredible things on Earth, staying in amazing hotels, and trying different food, we had rebooked our flights out of the modern city of Amman and made it out safely. Though so many had difficulty getting out of the Middle East, my dad and I were so fortunate to have even better flight plans open up to us than the ones we had originally booked. 

All in all, this trip to Israel and Jordan was absolutely life changing. I hope by listening through this series you're motivated to travel there yourself or study the Biblical text through the lens of the land of the Bible which offers so much clarity to the stories it contains. Thanks so much for listening!

 

Pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zlyZDyWOWUf8rumN2_YW2jW3FpVOkXXN?usp=drive_link

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDUkiQvCEF8Rc4TzjyBMsxg

Email: truthbetoldbiblepodcast@gmail.com

Logo: Matt Hernandez

Music: Acoustic Indie Folk Years By MarkJuly