Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit Dead Sea And Kings Road

The museum. Take a look at the small museum at the entrance of the site, which houses some beautiful mosaics. You can then visit the remains of the Byzantine basilica and the superb mosaics that have been uncovered. One of them, measuring 9 m x 3 m, dates from 530 and represents pastoral and hunting scenes, as well as numerous animals: ostrich, zebra, lions... The state of conservation is exceptional. Moving towards the apse, we notice other mosaics, one of which represents two gazelles at the foot of a date palm. The authorities have built a shelter to protect the remains, near the small Franciscan monastery.

The panorama. At the back of the site, from the viewpoint, one can enjoy, on a clear day, an extraordinary view of the surrounding mountains and valleys: the Dead Sea, the Judean mountains, the oasis of Jericho, the Jordan Valley... On a clear day, one can even see Jerusalem some 45 km away. An orientation table allows you to find your bearings.

Near the viewpoint, you will also see a large bronze cross overlooking the valley: this memorial is the work of Gian Paolo Fantoni, an artist from a Florentine art school. It represents the serpent raised by Moses in the desert and the crucifixion of Jesus. The renovations of the Moses Memorial were completed in 2016, after several years of work.

For your personal information, Mount Nebo is not the highest peak in the region, but is simply the last peak before the vast Ghor Depression.

On our last visit, the tour only included the place where Jesus was baptized (from "Eglise Saint-Jean-Baptiste") and the Jordan River.

Tell Elias, the place where the prophet Elijah is said to have ascended to heaven on a chariot of fire. An arch, built in 1999, stands on the site of a church dating from the ^4th and^5th centuries.

A prayer hall stands a few metres further on, with fragments of mosaics on the floor. Dating from the ^3rd century, this is the oldest building on the site and one of the earliest Christian sanctuaries discovered to date.

The grotto of St. John the Baptist is located on a hill overlooking the Jordan River, next to a monastery built in the^5th century. It was converted into a church in the early days of Christianity. The mosaics covering the floor of the nave are damaged but precious. Greek inscriptions date the building. The church to the west of the hill dates from the same period. Nearby caves, probably frequented by hermits, attest to the presence and role of the monastery. Also visible are a well, a cistern, drains and several basins used by pilgrims who came to be baptized.

Tothe west, some 800 m away, are the remains of a Byzantine building dating from the^5th or ^6th century, possibly a pilgrim dormitory, with a large pool holding 300 people. Next, you'll discover John the Baptist's spring, one of the many places where the saint is said to have baptized his disciples.

The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste. The walk takes you along a shady path, surrounded by lush vegetation, which runs alongside the Wadi al-Kharrar, a tributary of the Jordan River. The path leads to the ruins of several churches. One of these is the ^6th-century Church of St. John the Baptist, of which little remains. It was built on the ruins of a^5th-century church, itself built on the ruins of a ^4th-century church, swept away by floods or earthquakes common at the time. These churches flanked the baptismal font, which was accessed via a cross-shaped staircase. It is estimated that the site was home to some fifteen churches. Excavations are still continuing.

The Jordan River. You then reach the Jordan River. Don't expect a spectacular river. It's just a muddy stream, sometimes almost dry. On the other bank floats the Israeli flag. The river's importance is above all historical and symbolic, as is this visit.

The Wadi Mujib reserve is a narrow canyon that rises to a plateau to offer beautiful views of the mountains and the Dead Sea. There are different hiking trails with different levels of difficulty. The hikes in the bottom of the canyon are quite easy, but have some passages where you have to get into the water and the rocks are slippery. The hike up to the plateau is strenuous and requires a good physical condition. All the hikes require the presence of a guide, except for the Siq Trail at the entrance of the gorge. All hikes are for people over 18 years old only.

Siq Trail (April¹ to October 31, easy to moderate, 1 to 2 hours walking). This is the only trail that is accessible without a guide or reservation. It starts at the visitor's center and goes down into the gorge to a waterfall. It includes swimming in natural pools (depending on the water level) and requires walking in the water. Bring proper equipment and a change of clothes.

Ibex Trail (November¹ to March 31, moderate, 3 to 4 hour hike, 8:30 am start, guide required). You walk along the road before taking a trail that climbs to higher ground, offering a magnificent view of the Dead Sea. A third of the way up, you can take an optional loop to the ruins of an ancient castle (Qasr Riyashi), said to have been occupied by a powerful Bedouin of the same name. The climb is strenuous but offers a superb panorama. Back on the road, you continue towards the Raddas ranger station and pass the famous rock of Lot's wife, transformed into a salt statue. If you are lucky, you will see a rare Nubian Ibex, a kind of local ibex.

Malaqi Trail (April¹ to October 31, difficult, 6 to 7 hours walking, guide required). This hike is for those who enjoy extreme conditions. It follows the same starting route as the Ibex Trail, then descends to the Mujib River bed. The trail continues along the river until it reaches the confluence with the Hidan River. The return to the visitor center includes a 20-meter rappel down the waterfall.

Canyon Trail (open from April¹ to October 31, difficult, 4-hour hike, guide required). You follow the same path as the Malaqi Trail, up the gorge, then down to the Mujib riverbed. Instead of going up you go down into the gorge to a 20m waterfall. The hike includes parts of canyoning.

Excavations carried out in 1920 in these two villages revealed an important fortress which would have been inhabited from 3200 to 1900 BC. The evidence of a sudden abandonment suggests that these were the biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The ruins are, however, unspectacular. In both cases, the interiors of the dwellings have revealed a layer of ash and walls tilted by an external force. In Numeira, the remains of a fallen tower also remain.

12 km south of the Mövenpick Hotel, a little after crossing the bridge over Wadi Zarqa, the river that feeds the springs of Hammamat Ma'in. Herod used to come here to treat his rheumatism. A small archaeological site was unearthed in 1807 including the remains of a port and Roman baths. It is possible to bathe (free of charge) in the Dead Sea by going down under the bridge that spans Wadi Zarqa and rinsing in the natural pools of the river (non-drinking water). Beware, the site is very busy on Friday and Saturday.

According to the excavations of Belgian archaeologists who are gradually revealing the history of the site, rock shelters in the vicinity were inhabited by prehistoric man. Flints have been found there, the oldest of which are over 150,000 years old! Scrapers, chisels and other tools have also been brought up from deep in the ground. Pottery, an olive press and tools attest to the presence of a sedentary village in the Bronze Age. The dwellings consisted of a single room, with the exception of some slightly larger houses with several rooms. The site was later inhabited by the Moabites in the 11th and 12th centuries BC, and later by the Nabataeans, as evidenced by the ruins of a temple and the engravings they left behind. A Nabatean woman's grave has also been found; she was buried with pottery, beaded necklaces, her earrings and a bracelet. The Romans left behind a temple and the city's fortifications. The Umayyads then occupied the area, as the remains of a 15th-century fortress seem to indicate. Finally, the Ottomans were the last occupants before the city was abandoned by Sultan Suleiman, who gave it to the Saleitha tribe. Don't expect sumptuous ruins, but a few piles of stones popping up here and there. On the other hand, the road winding between the curved hills is simply phenomenal. You will feel like you are walking on the moon.