Early Tuesday morning, I woke up in Eilat eager to spend the day visiting Petra in Jordan. This is not the height of tourist season, so my wife, son, and I were accompanied by just two other tourists for the border crossing, two hour drive, and day of walking the wonders of Petra. This gave us the opportunity for plenty of personal time with our guide, Ahmed, to explore and delve into the history, geography, and mythology of all that we saw. And, Ahmed was a wealth of information, equally well-versed in the Koran, Bible, and all that is known of the Nabateans who once occupied Petra.  

While we were driving through the Edomite Mountains of Southern Jordan, we talked about the journey of Moses and the Israelites as we were passing through the very terrain where some believe they spent the bulk of their 40 year trek (which was mostly stops for periods of time).  As we came closer to Petra, Ahmed pointed out Mount Hor or Jabroun Harun as it is now known (Mount Aaron). This is the site of Aaron's death as recounted in the Torah and it is considered to be one of the holiest places in Jordan. A mosque was built on the edge of the mountain in the 14th century and is said to contain the tomb of Aaron. There is a debate as to whether this is actually the site of the Biblical Mount Hor, or whether it is in the Sinai desert, but it is easy to imagine this landscape being the home of the Israelites as they made their way to the Promised Land. 

As we continue reading of the Exodus in this week's parashah, Yitro, and visualize ourselves with the Israelites as they receive the Ten Commandments from God, perhaps we can connect more easily with our ancestors if we can also connect with the places that they visited. Maybe it was Mount Hor in Jordan, or Mount Hor somewhere else, but seeing and touching the land makes the possibility all that much more real. 

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem.