Traveling for a Week | 6.

Below is a group of photos taken during our week-long trip to Petra, the Wadi Rum, the Dead and Red Seas, Aqaba, Jesus' baptismal site on the Jordan River, among other places. I've had to select only a few photos to upload. Thus, I hope they are satisfactory. The first eight are from various locations in Petra, the ancient capital of the Nabatean empire. The next five are from Wadi Rum, a vast desert where we camped for a night. Our group took a five hour Jeep tour, and during the night saw a meteor streak across the sky from the eastern to western horizons. No picture of that unfortunately. It was unbelievable, though. The final five are from Aqaba, in the gulf of the Red Sea. Many blessings to you all. I have three weeks and four days before I return to the USA. For a variety of reasons, one of which is most exciting, I am ready to be home. Again, many blessings.

Another Installment of Pictures | 7.05.2008

Here are a dozen more photos to view at your convenience. The first eight are from Area B and Area E, where I excavate at Abila. Please don't be alarmed if you're wondering what I'm smoking with our workers. Hookah is a rather important aspect of Jordanian and Middle Eastern culture, similar to sharing coffee or tea together. The tobacco is called sheesha, a mixture of honey, fruit, and tobacco. It's really quite enjoyable. One picture is taken of our second breakfast, a veritable feast. The last five photos are taken from the Madrasa, or school, in Hartha where I live currently, some from the roof overlooking Hartha and some of our courtyard. Well, there's definitely more to come, I promise. Our week long trip begins tomorrow morning, when we'll travel to Petra, the Dead Sea and Jesus' baptismal site, a beautiful desert called Wadi Rum, where Laurence of Arabia lived for a time, a crusader castle called Kerak (where The Kingdom of God was filmed), the Red Sea and Aqaba, among other places. After we return there will be two weeks (ten days approximately) of digging remaing. Then we travel home August 4th.