![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.josephclan.com\/tjblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/jordanian-guide1.jpg\" "\\"jordanian")
<\/a>Our Jordanian guide with his family<\/p><\/div>and he felt it was his duty to help them. He said that it was difficult for his family to adjust to life in Jordan after living in the US especially given his reduced income in relation to the cost of living.<\/p>\n
The topography is interesting in that buildings in Amman are on multiple levels as there are a lot of hills \u2013 barren of any vegetation for the most part \u2013 but houses and apartments have been built at different levels with some having panoramic views of the city. The buildings make for a sea of white or off white because they are all constructed with Jordanian limestone.<\/p>\n
Jordan is basically a poor country with little in the way of resources and there is a marked disparity between the rich and poor who make up the bulk of the population. Unlike other Arab countries that have oil, Jordan does not have any oil or any other natural resources. According to the guide much of the real estate in Amman is owned by approximately 150 families. The rest of the population rents from these families who are their landlords.
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There are two major biblical attractions we were shown: first there was the St George Greek Orthodox church in Madaba. The map depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns in Palestine and the Nile Delta. Mosaic of Jerusalem from centuries ago<\/p><\/div>The mosaic contains the earliest representation of Byzantine Jerusalem, labeled the \u201cHoly City.\u201d The map depicts some famous Old City structures such as the Damascus Gate, St. Steven\u2019s Gate, the Golden Gate, the gate leading to Mount Zion, the Citadel (Tower of David) and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The map provides important details as to its 6th century landmarks, with the cardo, or central colonnaded street and the Holy Sepulchre clear visible. It has been an important source in developing knowledge about the physical layout of Jerusalem after its destruction and rebuilding in AD 70.<\/p>\n The other major attraction we were shown was Mount Nebo where Moses was shown the Promised Land which he was never to enter. <\/a>The significance of the church is that during its construction in the 18th century a mosaic map was found that dates back centuries. Unearthed 1864, the mosaic was once a clear map with 157 captions (in Greek) of all major biblical sites from Lebanon to Egypt. The mosaic dates back to AD 560 & once contained more than 2 million pieces, only 1\/3 of the whole now survives. What is left of this mosaic map sits in the middle of the church and is cordoned off but can be viewed.<\/p>\n<\/a>