Jordan Day 2 Northern Mountains, Anjara, Elijah’s Birthplace, Jerash, Jabbok River and more

by Steve Ray on February 11, 2019

After a good nights sleep everybody is fresh and ready to go. We start by heading north for an hour and a half up into the mountains of Jordan. At this point we’re only a short drive across the border to the sea of Galilee and then Israel.

We start at one of the five pilgrimage sites designated by St. John Paul II. We have Mass at Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church in Anjara (Fr. Dan’s excellent homily here) before driving to Mar Elias (Tishbe) which is the birthplace of Elijah the prophet (1 Kings 17:1). We stoped at a wonderful restaurant for lunch and watched more fresh bread being baked outside in a huge domed oven.

Next to one of the most well preserved ancient Roman cities called Jerash which is mentioned in the gospels as Gerasa (Luke 8:37). On our way back to Amman we visit the Jabbok River  where I tell the story of Jacob the supplanter  and deceiver. It was at this river that he was renamed Israel after wrestling all night with God (Gen 32:24-32).

Steve Ray tells story of Jacob the Conniver