Kerak

Sunday 12 April

Travel from Petra to Karak and Amman. Today reveals how much the territory of modern Jordan is tied with the land of Israel in their history and their future. We traveled most of the morning through the Biblical territory of the Edomites. Again, the scenery is just spectacular.

We stopped for a view of Buseirah (Bozrah Isa 63:1-6). The prophecy indicates, this is the expected route of Christ and the Saints will take as they move up to Jerusalem, before Armageddon. A time when he will have “trod the winepress”, and this is just the start of the judgments.

A Huge igneous (volcanic) intrusion into the limestone layers at the bottom of the dead sea.
Hot intrusions like this could well have ignited the Bituminous slime pits that the Biblical record affirms was in the area of Sodom and Gomorrah before it was destroyed.
These potent ingredients would have caused a phenomenal explosion

We also passed through Wadi Musa (Biblical place called Zered). This is where the Israelites finished their 38yrs wanderings in the wilderness. The last of that generation over 20 at the time when they originally spied out the land and rebelled perished. and Isa 16:1-7 Where “God’s outcasts (Jews) will dwell with thee (the Moabites)”. It is understood from this prophecy that this territory will become a refuge for the Jews fleeing from the Latter day invasion of Gog.

Kerak (Kir-hares or Kir-Hareseth Isa 16, 2 Kings 3) is the place where The King of Moab offered his firstborn son as a burnt offering on the walls of the city to defend against the advancing confederate armies of Israel, Judah & Edom. From the wall of the old castle we could see the irrigation pools below in the valley that reminded me of the pools of ancient times that looked like blood in the morning sunshine, and fooled the Moabites into coming out of the city to their misfortune.

Ruth and Fiona overlooking the valley below.
The camera cannot do justice to the view from the top of the castle

It also has an extremely well preserved Crusader castle that we could have spent all day exploring. Just sensational to sit on the top of the old walls and drink in the view and contemplate the history of that place.

View from the top of the walls of the Crusader castle to give an idea of the height at the top.

Darren with imaginary bow and arrow shooting
at the 'infidels' below

We flew out of Amman into Telaviv. Amy left our company at this point. It was such a pleasure to have her with us, and she thought we were the “coolest old people” she knew!

Middle Eastern fat tailed lambs with a goat on the right for sale.
Any takers?

It was so exciting to look out across the Holy land from the plane. The land which “the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end”. At the airport we hired two - 7 seat vehicles and drove to Tel Aviv.

We travelled up through the Pass of Beth Horon. This is the scene of many Biblical stories, but also a place where a modern tragic struggle took occurred. The Jews, desperate to bring supplies up to the besieged city of Jerusalem in the War of Independence 1948, had to pass through this death trap with Arab Militias incessantly raining gunfire upon them. Tragically many perished having escaped the Holocaust of Europe a few years before. The old armour plated vehicles still remain along the roadside for a memorial. ‘O Jerusalem’ is a fantastic account of the birth of the Jewish nation, and worth reading to understand the history of this time.

Unable to hold back, we went straight up to the Old city for a quick walk, up to the Wailing Wall via the Jaffa and Zion Gate. It is Passover. The place is teaming with Jews. To walk through the Jaffa Gate and look up at the ramparts overhead is a very emotional experience. This is the city of the Great King. One day soon “he whose right it is” will be entering into this city to claim his throne and “reign over the house of Jacob for ever”.