Mount Nebo where Moses died
The pre-eminent sanctuary in Arabia beyond the Jordan River was Mount Nebo, the goal of the pilgrims who accepted to subject themselves to the fatigue of climbing the steep road that linked Livias to Esbus, as Egeria writes, to contemplate the Promised Land from the natural balcony chosen by God for his prophet.

The roman road bordering the south bank of the wadi Hesban reaches the high plateau passing along the crest of al-Mushaqqar facing Mount Nebo. The Onomasticon recalls several biblical localities along this road (On. 12, 20: 'Araboth'; 44, 21: 'Beelfegor'; 48, 8 'Bethfogor'; 64, 21: 'Gai in Moab'; 76, 11 "Dannaba super montem Fogor in septimo lapide Esbus").

The text of Egeria allows us to follow on her footsteps along that road.

The pilgrim, eager to reach the goal of her pilgrimage, stops at the sixth milestone. Here a detour from the main road led her to the Springs of Moses, from which it was possible to climb to the peak of Mount Nebo to visit the sanctuary of Moses.

We can divide the trip into three sections with three halts. The first stop was near the 6th milestone. Here four milestones are still visible near the Roman-Byzantine fortress of al-Mahatta, from which the detour starts that today takes one to ‘Uyoun Mousa or the Springs of Moses. A small spring called by the Bedouins ‘Ayn Saq‘an provided fresh water to the soldiers and to the pilgrims at the end of their climb from the valley.

The presence of a garrison of soldiers on the peak, which dominates the region, provided security for the many pilgrims who went to Mount Nebo, as is stated in the Life of Peter the Iberian: “For it is a place of cure for the soul and for the bodies and a place of refuge for all those who come here from all places and are afflicted in soul and affected with many kinds of sufferings of the body".

Having arrived at the 6th mile, the pilgrims could choose one of two routes: either continue taking the roman road and reach the Via Nova Traiana, down to Madaba and from there move on to Mount Nebo or take the detour which descended directly to the Springs of Moses at the foot of the mountain. This latter short-cut was proposed to Egeria and all those who were accompanying her, by the priest from Livias.

"Now we had to hurry to carry out our intention of reaching Mount Nebo. As we travelled along, the local presbyter from Livias (I had asked him to leave his home and accompany us because he knew the area so well) asked us, «Would you like to see the water that flows from the rock, which Moses gave to the children of Israel when they were thirsty? You can if you have the energy to turn off the road at about the sixth milestone.» At this we were eager to go”.

The Springs of Moses
As the pilgrim relates, the second stop was near the springs where many hermits lived.

"We turned off the road at once, the presbyter led the way, and we followed him. It is a place with a tiny church under a mountain - not Nebo, but another one not very far from Nebo but further in. A great many monks lived there, truly holy men of the kind known here as ascetics.

The holy monks were good enough to receive us very hospitably, and welcomed us indoors. Going in with them we joined them in prayer, and they then very kindly gave us the «blessings» which is normal for them to give to those whom they entertain. Between the church and the cells was a plentiful spring which flowed from the rock, beautifully clear and with an excellent taste, we asked the holy monks who lived there about this water which tasted so remarkably good. «This», they told us, «is the water which holy Moses gave the children of Israel in this desert.» As usual we had there a prayer, a reading from the Books of Moses, and one psalm"

On the occasion of the centenary of the discovery of Egeria's itinerary, in 1984 the archaeological research went on in the Uyun Musa valley among the vineyards watered by the springs from which Egeria had drunk and with her, or before and after her, the innumerable pilgrims who had climbed Mount Nebo. There too, mosaics witness the presence of the monks whom she had met back in the IV century.

A rescue excavation has given us the possibility of furthering our exploration of the valley, which shows the remains of at least three small monastic complexes and a cemetery, as well as the grottoes close to the springs, which explorers of the last century had already noted and identified with a Byzantine hermitage.

The church of Kaianos excavated by the Franciscan Archaeological Institute had been built at the time of bishop Cyrus of Madaba in the first years of the VI century. The church was reconstructed and new mosaics were laid in the second half of the same century.

In the following years the same team has exposed the small dayr of the Deacon Thomas, west of the spring, on the path leading to the Roman road. This building too, with its beautiful mosaic floor must be dated to the first half of the VI century.

For the time being, we have no trace of a fourth century sacred edifice, like the chapel visited by Egeria near the Springs of Moses.

© Michele Piccirillo
SBF