Mount of Temptation, Jericho

This blog is a continuation of the recent entry on the Tour of Israel in late May to early June 2014 (Read here). 

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The mountain range situated barely 5Km northwest of Jericho was believed to be the mountain where Jesus was taken to after his baptism by John the Baptist. Matthew 4: 1-11 record the story of the fasting of Jesus for 40 days and nights and he was tempted by the devil on the mountain. By tradition, it was believed that on this mountain, the devil showed the kingdoms of the world to Jesus and pleaded for Jesus' homage in exchange for the kingdoms of this world. The story ended with the devil fleeing after his scheme failed.

The peak of the Mount of Temptation at 350m above sea level looks high and majestic because the plain where Jericho occupies is 250m below sea level. Jericho, with an annual rainfall of between150mm and 400mm (2,000mm for KK, Sabah), it is no wonder we have not heard of flood in this part of the world even it is way below the sea level. 

At the foot of the Mount of Temptation, we could make out from a distance row of buildings perched high on the barren, rugged and steep slope of the mountain. Unfortunately, our touch-and-go short visit to this pilgrimage site did not allow time for a visit to these old structures. These buildings belonging to the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Temptation were built in 1895. The chapel in the Monastery is built around a cave with a stone believed to be where Jesus once sat during his fasting. It was said that the Monastery complex is now inhabited by just three monks.

The cable car station is seen on the right while the barely visible Monastery of Temptation is toward the left.

In the past, visitors needed to trek 60 mins to 90 mins to reach the Monastery. Since 1998, visitors can reach the site within minutes via cable cars. 

The Monastery built precariously on the hill slope.

A narrow path between the inner building edge and the steep hill side.

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On our way to the Mount of Temptation, our tour bus passed through Jericho, a city made famous by the story of the fall and destruction of Jericho when under siege by Joshua for seven days (Joshua 6: 1-27). The utter destruction is chilling and frightening - "And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword."

Jericho was rebuilt. Someone named Hiel of Bethel in Ahab's time rebuilt Jericho (1 Kings 16:34). 

In Jericho, we were not let to see any ruins or new re-built structures. Instead, our bus stopped by a Sycamore tree and spent a couple of minutes to look at it. In the end, it is a tree that is the selling point of Jericho - the Sycamore tree is the most tangible thing to remind visitors of the significance of Jericho.  It reminds the pilgrims the salvation story of a man named Zacchaeus, a short wealthy man working as a tax collector. Story goes that even though he was a hated man because of his corrupt life style, he was saved in the end.

A sycamore tree at Jericho.