9th Dec 2019 Red Sea shore front at Aqaba, Wadi Rum desert Jordan

Aqaba (Red Sea Shore)

Most Christian bibles and travel maps espouse the widely accepted view that Moses and the Israelites crossed the Red Sea at the Gulf of Suez. Could it possibly be that the Israelites crossed the Red Sea at the Gulf of Aqaba and not at the Gulf of Suez?

Wadi Rum

Biblically speaking, some scholars believe the Wadi Rum is referred to as Aram or Iram in the book of Genesis, and might also be the land of Uz mentioned in the book of Job. Other scholars see it as a central part of the land of Midian, where Moses fled after killing an Egyptian (see Exodus 2:11). Whatever the case may be, the Wadi Rum had a significant historical connection to various biblical events and later on became a hub of Christian monasticism. Before the days of the Rashidun Caliphate (the first of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad), the Wadi Rum desert belonged first to the Nabatean kingdom, then to the Roman empire and, finally, to the Byzantines. It was during this last period when, apparently, it got its current name: the inhabitants of the desert — mainly Bedouin tribes who either worshiped Roman gods or had become Christians — would refer to the Christian monastic and ascetic communities established in the region as “Rum,” that is, “Romans,” a word that would apply to Eastern Romans (that is, Byzantines) and Greek alike. Currently, there is no monastic life in Jordan whatsoever, either Catholic or Orthodox, although there is indeed a Christian presence all throughout the country, which keeps a 2,000-year-old tradition very much alive. But even if monks have not lived in either the desert or the surrounding hillsides for centuries, one can still see, visit and even enter and rest in the caves where they once lived, as they are nowadays mostly being used by shepherds while their herds graze in the surroundings.

An interesting article about the 3 Wise Men

Have you wondered where the 3 wise men originated from? The Bible says they were from the “east,” which usually means Mesopotamia 400 miles away, maybe Arabia. It says they were “wise,” which meant they may have been teachers of philosophy, medicine or science. “Wise” in Greek, the original language of the New Testament, is “magi,” which means they may have been magicians or priests. Most say they were astronomers, which means they studied the stars and gave advice to kings. It says they were looking for a King and had seen his star in the east. Since the star was brighter than all others, some say it wasn’t a star at all. Every 805 years, two large planets, Jupiter and Saturn, cross paths, which makes them look twice as bright. Scientists figure this must have happened in 7 B.C. or BCE, just at the time Jesus was born. The wisemen believed that a new star meant that a divine announcement was being made. How many wise men were there? Three, of course. But maybe not. The Bible doesn’t really tell us. Why are we fooled? Because of the 3 gifts - gold, frankincense and myrrh. They had to bring presents. No one visited a king without presents. Where would they find the most precious items in the world? Traders traveled the world in camel caravans. The wise men could have bought their gifts from them. They may even have joined a caravan themselves to be safe from robbers. Camel caravans always stopped at Petra since it was the most important trade center around.

Stop. Don't go yet. There is …. The Fourth Wise Man 

The story is an addition and expansion of the account of the Biblical Magi, recounted in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It tells about a "fourth" wise man (accepting the tradition that the Magi numbered three), a priest of the Magi named Artaban, one of the Medes from Persia. Like the other Magi, he sees signs in the heavens proclaiming that a King had been born among the Jews. Like them, he sets out to see the newborn ruler, carrying treasures to give as gifts to the child - a sapphire, a ruby, and a "pearl of great price". However, he stops along the way to help a dying man, which makes him late to meet with the caravan of the other three wise men. Because he missed the caravan, and he can't cross the desert with only a horse, he is forced to sell one of his treasures in order to buy the camels and supplies necessary for the trip. He then commences his journey but arrives in Bethlehem too late to see the child, whose parents have fled to Egypt. He saves the life of a child at the price of another of his treasures. He then travels to Egypt and to many other countries, searching for Jesus for many years and performing acts of charity along the way. After 33 years, Artaban is still a pilgrim, and a seeker after light. Artaban arrives in Jerusalem just in time for the crucifixion of Jesus. He spends his last treasure, the pearl, to ransom a young woman from being sold into slavery. He is then struck in the head by a falling roof tile and is about to die, having failed in his quest to find Jesus, but having done much good through charitable works. A voice tells him "Verily I say unto thee, Inasmuch as thou hast done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, thou hast done it unto me."(Matthew 25:40) He dies in a calm radiance of wonder and joy. His treasures were accepted, and the Other Wise Man found his King.