Stand Where Moses Stood – Visiting Mount Nebo In Jordan
It was our first full day in Jordan, and even though we had a rougher than usual time getting here, we had already loaded our family into an Uber for a field trip. Despite the beautiful scenery around us, I was definitely unsure if today of all days was the best time for this trip.
We had misjudged our layover in Cairo, making our trip out of Egypt surprisingly stressful. While we had managed, the end result had been a long day of travel. Even so, our time in Jordan was limited and today promised to be one of the shorter adventures we would be taking in the area.
So, even though I had seriously considered sleeping in, we were instead jumping in with both feet.
We were visiting Mount Nebo, the place where Moses died.
Where is Mount Nebo?
Mount Nebo is located in the northern part of Jordan, not far from the border with Israel, making it one of the many cool things to visit in the areas around Amman. The mount itself is located just northwest of Madaba, and you can get to it fairly quickly by following the King’s Highway south from Amman.
Mount Nebo, Jordan
Distance from Amman: around 25 miles (40km)
It took us roughly an hour to get there using an Uber.
Entry Fee: 3 JOD/person (foreigners), Kids under 12 free
Hours: Winter 7am-7pm, Summer 5am-7pm
Note: Mount Nebo does *not* accept credit cards, so be sure to bring enough cash both for entry and any souvenirs
Seeing everything there takes approximately an hour.
What is the Significance of Mount Nebo?
1Then Moses went up to Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab and climbed Pisgah Peak, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him the whole land, from Gilead as far as Dan; 2 all the land of Naphtali; the land of Ephraim and Manasseh; all the land of Judah, extending to the Mediterranean Sea; 3 the Negev; the Jordan Valley with Jericho—the city of palms—as far as Zoar. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter the land.”
– Deuteronomy, Chapter 34, verses 1-4; from the Bible, New Living Translation
While it is a beautiful location on its own, Mount Nebo is most significant for its relation to the Biblical figure of Moses. After leading the nation of Israel out from Egypt, and subsequently wandering the desert for 40 years, Moses was thought to have climbed Mount Nebo just before he died. From this marvelous vantage point, he would have been able to see the land beyond the Jordan River, all the way to where modern-day Jerusalem sits, and beyond! Shortly after, he was thought to have died there, ending an important chapter in the history of the Jewish people.
As one of the earliest leaders of the Hebrew nation, Moses holds a special place in 3 of the world’s largest religions; Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which reveres Moses (Musa) as one of their prophets.
Today, the site remains an important religious location, and pilgrims from all three faiths regularly make the journey to stand where Moses stood and gaze over the border into Israel.
Is Mount Nebo worth visiting?
Mount Nebo draws thousands of visitors each year, many of whom choose to visit because of the location’s religious significance. But even if that facet of Mount Nebo doesn’t interest you, it is still a spot worth visiting!
The landscape surrounding the mountain is absolutely stunning, and the view from the top provides amazing views of the Dead Sea, nearby fields, and even Jerusalem itself, on clear days. That view alone makes the trip worth it, even before considering any other reasons to visit.
Plus, since it’s a relatively quick, inexpensive stop, it makes an excellent addition to a day’s travel through the region alongside other great stops, like the Madaba mosaic map at St. George’s Church, or the Bethany beyond the Jordan site, where it’s thought that Jesus was baptized.
It’s definitely worth the stop.
What can you see at Mount Nebo?
The main reason for visiting Mount Nebo is definitely getting the chance to walk where Moses walked, and see what he saw. The connection to history is palpable, and I personally loved getting the chance to ponder the changes that occurred over the thousands of years since Moses was there.
However, if you’re interested in seeing something a little less ephemeral, there are a number of things to see and do during your visit.
Moses Memorial Church
The Moses Memorial Church is a modern building built around the remains of a historical church on the mountain.
The original church was built in the latter half of the 4th century CE and features some absolutely mesmerizing tile mosaics dating back around 530 CE. It was built as a commemoration of the place of Moses’ death and remained in use for several centuries before falling out of use.
It was abandoned, and subsequently forgotten, by the 16th century and not rediscovered until in the mid-1800s.
Since then, excavation and reconstruction of the church site have been ongoing, with the larger portion of the work falling to the Franciscans, since their purchase of the site in 1932.
Bronze Serpent Sculpture (Nehushtan)
Outside of the Moses Memorial Church, a sculpture of a bronze serpent in a shape reminiscent of a cross looks over the Jordan River valley. It is meant to be a reminder of the Nehushtan serpent which Moses made under the direction of God.
The book of Exodus tells us that it was made in response to a plague of poisonous snakes. The statue was given by God as a means for the Israelites to save themselves from the snakes, by looking at the snake.
This monument, designed by Italian artist Fian Paolo Fantoni, does not have the same healing powers but remains a powerful reminder of the history connected to this spot.
Memorial Viewpoint
It is said that the reason Moses climbed Mount Nebo before his death was so that he could see the Israelites’ promised land before he died, even though he would never cross the Jordan River himself.
Though the view is slightly different today from how Moses would have seen it, the Memorial Viewpoint at the top of Mount Nebo still provides a beautiful view across the border! A small sign at the viewpoint has lines pointing to some of the major landmarks visible from Mount Nebo, and if the day is clear you can see all the way to Jerusalem itself.
Mount Nebo Interpretation Center
The Mount Nebo Interpretation Center is a small, single-room museum located on the mountain. Inside, there are several reconstructions of mosaics, a Roman milestone from the area, and a number of smaller archaeological finds from the surrounding areas.
It’s great for what it is, but it is a fairly small collection, so don’t expect to spend too much time inside.
Gift and Coffee Shop
And of course, what trip is complete without a visit to the gift shop?
Alongside the locally-made mosaics and keepsakes in the gift shop, there is a small coffee bar where you can also purchase snacks and water.
What’s it like visiting Mount Nebo with kids?
Overall, my family found that Mount Nebo made for a wonderful morning trip to take with our kids!
The entire site was open and clean with plenty of outdoor space for our kids to enjoy. Plus each of the individual places to see on Mount Nebo was small enough that we could explore them in a reasonable amount of time without the kids getting bored, or tired. The entire trip only took us a little over an hour, including our stop in the gift shop at the end.
The one thing that was a little difficult for our kids was staying quiet during the trip.
Alongside the archaeological site and the museum, Mount Nebo is a functioning Franciscan monastery, and out of respect for the monks, it is expected that guests remain quiet during their visit. Our kids did a great job of that, staying (mostly) silent in the Memorial Church and keeping their volume down during the rest of the trip, but I know that that can be a huge challenge for families with small kids.
Definitely don’t let that keep you from visiting, though!
The beauty of the outdoor space, coupled with the historicity of the site and relative ease of getting there makes this an excellent archaeological trip to check out with kids!
Can you climb Mount Nebo?
Simply put, not really. While it is super easy to get to the base of Mount Nebo by car, the 1,100-meter walk up to the top isn’t really a climb. It’s just a walk, and a handicap-accessible one at that!
That makes it a wonderful place to check out some easy-to-reach vistas, but if you’re looking for a climb through beautiful natural landscapes, this isn’t the place for you. (Though, I did find this trail from Mount Nebo to the Dead Sea. If you decide to give it a go, let me know how it turns out!)
Despite my family’s exhuastion on the way to Mount Nebo, I found that our visit was the perfect way to start our trip to this amazing country. The quiet atmosphere of the Mount was a welcome relief, and granted us the space to breath that we needed. While it may not be as popular a site as places like Petra, I highly recommend taking the time visit.
