BIBLICAL SITES ON THE JORDAN TRAIL
by Bob Rouse and Kay Saffari
Jordan’s most popular new adventure activity is a 400-
mile walking trail that covers the length of the country,
from Um Qais in the north to the Red Sea in the south.
According to Malia Asfour, director of the Jordan
Tourism Board, North America, the aptly named Jordan
Trail offers 40 days of inspirational trekking if done in full,
although groups can choose to hike it in sections.
“This project, which is still growing and developing,
takes you on a journey through the layers of Jordanian
landscape and history and provides an encounter with
the country’s people and their cultures, traditions and
cuisine,” she says.
In addition to adventure, the Jordan Trail, with
several significant sites along the way, offers a glimpse
into biblical times as well. After all, Jordan is the land
where Jesus was baptized; where he walked among
the people, taught them and performed miracles; and
where he started his final journey toward crucifixion
in Jerusalem. If you prefer to focus on the Christian
elements of the trail, you can select the sections of the
trail that are the most relevant.
“And the trail can be done in pieces: a portion of the
trail in the north, in the middle or in the south,” Asfour
says . “The terrains, lifestyle and cultural traditions change
as you pass through different biogeographic zones.”
Here is information on each of the eight sections on the
trail, with references on key biblical sites included:
Um Qais to Ajloun (49 miles) Highlights of this
northerly and green corner of Jordan include Roman
ruins, hot springs, mysterious prehistoric structures and
villages focused on community-based tourism.
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trip planner
Biblical references: Um Qais was known as Gadara
in biblical times and was a town where Jesus spent
time and performed miracles, including the Miracle of
the Gadarene Swine in which He healed a mad man
by casting out his evil spirits onto a herd of pigs.
Ajloun to Fuheis (37 miles) From the village of Burma,
the trail leads across the King Talal Dam wall and past
rich farmlands to the Christian village of Fuheis and a
nearby microbrewery.
Fuheis to Wadi Zarqa Ma’in (45 miles) The climate
becomes warmer and more arid as the trail passes
by scattered Bedouin camps, crosses a plateau
overlooking the Dead Sea and descends through basalt
canyons. (A wadi is a valley or ravine.) Today the Dead
Sea remains a popular pilgrimage site because many
believe that its waters have special healing powers.
Biblical references: Many stories from the Old
Testament occurred in or around the Dead Sea.
For example, the book of Genesis describes the
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities that
were located along the east coast of the Dead Sea.
On the way to the Dead Sea you will encounter the
Pillar of Lot’s Wife, a monument commemorating the
biblical story of Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of
salt. Further down the road you can visit Lot’s Cave,
where Lot and his two daughters lived after escaping
Sodom and Gomorrah. Later a monastery was built on
this site.
Mount Nebo is another famous biblical location to
visit on this section of the Jordan Trail. According to