I cannot believe how fast this trip is going. With more than a week of our travels already behind us, I find myself marveling at the swiftness of the passing days. But I have enjoyed my time around the city of Amman and have learned and seen so much!
Travelling through this land I have found myself immersed in an ancient land where heroes of the Bible still walk in thought and memory and where history and modern life converge in a dramatic canvas of earth, sky, water, desert and stone.
And thus I share with you some highlights of my time in and around Amman. A beautiful city in a beautiful land…
1. There is one of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Jordan
We first arrived in Amman at 5 am and, after sleeping away several hours at the hotel, we went to several sites right in town. One of the first stops we made was to the National Museum of Jordan. The museum has only been recently opened and, as it turned out, we were the very first tour group to go through it! The treasure of the museum came at the end in the very last room: a Dead Sea Scroll made of copper! It is the only one known to have been inscripted in metal and the scholars actually had to cut it in strips in order to read it. It was amazing just to look at the scroll and realize that sitting there in front of me was something which holds such a significant place in the history of our world and about which I had heard so much.
2. Bedouins still exist
Is it just me, or is the fact that Bedouins still live in Jordan extremely awesome! I found it absolutely amazing to see them camping along the highway as we drove through northern Jordan. Living in tents made of goat hair and on lands belonging to other people, Bedouins are nomads and at a moments notice will pack up their camps and move on. What a life to live in the 21st century! I found it absolutely amazing to see this, especially when right down the highway you can go shopping at IKEA! Bedouins are an extremely hospitable people and if you ever visit one of their camps and they offer you their traditional “welcome” coffee, always remember to take it with your right hand and don’t find it strange if they stand beside you – they are waiting for you to finish drinking in order to take back the glass.
3. Jordan is a saviour to the refugees
Today there are around 2 million Palestinian refugees living in Jordan in 13 different refugee camps; when you stop and think about it, this is a simply a crazy number of people! But refugees in Jordan have a very good life and are not treated as second-class citizens. In 
fact, many now consider themselves Jordanian citizens and have even been issued passports. The “refugee camps” which you can drive through in Jordan look nothing like the camps we hear of in other places; in fact they look just like any other part of town and you would have no idea you were even in one unless someone told you!
4. If I was deaf and blind, I’d move to Jordan
When we were in Amman we drove slightly south to Salt. This city used to be the capital of Jordan way back and while we were there we went to visit The Holy Land Institute for the Deaf. It was amazing talking to Brother Andrew (a member of the Order of the Holy Cross) who runs the Institute; he is an amazing man and it was an honour to speak to him and to hear his heart. A Swiss volunteer who has been working at the Institute for the last three years gave us a tour of the facilities. Out of everything they do there, the thing I found the most amazing was the various practices and processes that are set in place for people who can neither see nor hear. To see the love that the volunteers have for the children and to hear the catch in their voices as they spoke about young teenagers being able to communicate with other people for the first time in their lives – was simply beyond words. If you’re ever in Jordan, a visit to The Holy Land Institute for the Deaf is an absolute must!
5. The Complexity of Biblical Sites
One thing I had not really thought through before coming to Jordan is the simple fact that there are often many different “official” sites for various biblical stories. The baptismal site of Jesus is no different. For many years it was believed to be on the Israeli side of the Jordan. However, more recently, Bethany Beyond the Jordan has become the prominant site in the minds of most scholars. This is believed primarily because of both the witness of scripture and of church history – not only was this the location where much of John the Baptist’s ministry took place, but it was also a major pilgrimage site for Christians in the 6th century.
Not to be outdone by the Jordanians, however, Israel has now built another baptismal site directly across the river from the Jordan site. ...But despite this, it is still not considered to be as accurate as the Jordanian site.
As I sat there with my feet in the Jordan river, cooling off after a long, hot day in the sun, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed – not only at the site itself, but also at the depth of Christian history and heritage which that site contains. For, not only is it the likely site of Jesus’ baptism, it is also the approximate setting of where Joshua crossed the Jordan after the death of Moses as well as the location where Elijah ascended into heaven in a fiery chariot!
Kathryn Bennallack is a full time student at Ambrose, heading into her 5th and final year of the Christian Studies program with a focus on Spirituality and a double minor in English Literature and Business Administration. Kathryn has enjoyed her studies at Ambrose over the last few years and has been inspired by her professors to dig deeper into her faith and to continually seek out learning opportunities. Kathryn loves reading, photography, spending time with her family and friends and exploring new places wherever and whenever she can! Having grown up on the west coast of Canada in Victoria BC, Kathryn has a deep love for the ocean and legitimately does enjoy long walks on the beach! Kathryn is passionate about travel and one of her life goals is to travel to every country in the world. Another goal? to grow in relationship with her Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ at every opportunity.
