Ogene Romanus
They visited all the holy sites in Jordan and Israel with wonderful tour guides who explained location sites and their biblical connections.
It was indeed a beautiful opportunity to experience God in the land where his son was born and lived.
According to the pilgrims, the presence of God was highly felt and they spent every opportunity they could praying and interceding for Enugu State, personal and general issues.
The pilgrims had an amazing time experiencing new culture and most importantly, trying new food like the falafel (made with chickpeas, onions, and plenty of herbs and spices)
Each day was a new and unforgettable experience for the pilgrims.
They were all accommodated in five star hotels both at Jordan and Israel and were treated like royalty.
Indeed, the organisers did a great job in selecting breathtaking tour sites like Mount Nebo, River Jordan, Red Sea, Jabbok River, Dead Sea, Madaba and other various holy sites. The hotel selection was impeccable, comfortable transportation with efficient tour guides and security.
Most importantly for the pilgrims was the feeling of respect and sense of belonging they were all treated to.
The experience has been pinned to be the best organised pilgrimage in Nigeria in the last 10 years.
The major Highlight of the tour was their visit to a spectacular sandstone city of Petra built in the 3rd century BC by the Nabataeans, who carved palaces, temples, tombs, storerooms and stables from the soft stone cliffs. A record breaking journey in history of Nigeria Pilgrimage marking Enugu pilgrims as the first to set their feet on the soil of a part of the planet earth hosting one the most precious cultural properties in the history of mankind "PETRA".
Petra was the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom and the centre of their caravan trade eclosed by towering rocks, watered by a perennial stream and sandwiched by Arabian deserts.
Historically, Petra does not only possess the advantages of a fortress, but controlled the main commercial routes which passed through it to GAZA in the west, to BOSRA and DAMASCUS in the north, to AQABA and LEUCE COME on the Red Sea, and across the desert to the Persian Gulf.
Located about fifty miles south of the Dead Sea and 170 miles southwest of modern Amman in current day Jordan, the city of Petra was mentioned in the Bible, it's Hebrew name "SELA" in Isaiah 16:1 and 2 Kings 14:7. Both Petra and Sela mean “ROCK,” an appropriate name, since much of the city is carved into sandstone cliffs.
Petra’s main access is via a narrow crevice called the SIQ, which winds for about a mile through mountainous terrain. The Siq provided an excellent natural defense for Petra’s inhabitants. Many moviegoers are familiar with the Siq and the treasury building of Petra, which were featured in the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Petra was in the land of the Edomites, who were descendants of Esau. Israel and Edom were constantly at odds, starting with Edom’s refusal to allow Moses and the Israelites passage through their land on their way to Canaan (Numbers 20:18-21). During the kingdom years, King Saul and King David both fought the Edomites (1 Samuel 14:47; 2 Samuel 8:13-14). During the reign of King Jehoshaphat, Edom invaded Judah and was repelled (2 Chronicles 20). Later, King Amaziah fought against Edom, and he took control of Petra, renaming it “Joktheel” (2 Kings 14:7).
For centuries, Petra seemed secure in its unassailable fortress of rock, but today its ruins lie uninhabited, in fulfillment of the prophetic word: “‘As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighboring towns,’ says the LORD, ‘so no one will live there; no people will dwell in it’” (Jeremiah 49:18).
Ogene Romanus
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