3 Churches to explore in Jordan
Located at the cross roads of Asia, Africa and Europe. Jordan has been repeatedly referred to as an "oasis of stability" in a turbulent region. It has been mostly unscathed by the violence that swept the region following the Arab Spring in 2010. From as early as 1948, Jordan has accepted refugees from multiple neighbouring countries in conflict.
Historic 3rd-century church, considered to be the world's oldest-known purpose-built Christian church. Its first phase was dated between 293 and 303, which makes it older than the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, both of which were built in the late 320s.
It is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land. The West Bank city of Jericho and Jerusalem are visible from the summit on a very clear day.
The Madaba Map, also known as the Madaba Mosaic Map, is part of a floor mosaic in the church. The Madaba Map is of the Middle East, and part of it contains the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of the Holy Land and especially Jerusalem. It dates to the 6th century AD.
