Mount Nebo (Jabal Nibo in Arabic) ‎

Is an elevated ridge that is approximately 817 meters (2680 feet) above sea level, in Jordan. The view from the summit provides a panorama of the Holy Land and, to the north, a more limited one of the valley of the River Jordan  is a 251 kilometres (156 mi) long river in West Asia flowing to the Dead Sea. Currently, the river serves as the eastern border of the State of Israel and of the disputed Palestinian Territories. In Christian tradition, Jesus was baptised in it by John the Baptist. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan takes its name from this river. The West Bank city of Jericho is usually visible from the summit, as is Jerusalem on a very clear day.

According to Jewish and Christian tradition and the Bible, Moses was buried on this mountain by God Himself, and his final resting place is unknown. Scholars continue to dispute whether the mountain currently known as Nebo is the same as the mountain referred to in the Torah. According to the 2 Maccabees 2:4–7, the Prophet Jeremiah hid the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant in a cave here.

On the highest point of the mountain, Syagha, the remains of a church and monastery were discovered in 1933. The church was first constructed in the second half of the 4th century to commemorate the place of Moses' death. The church design follows a typical basilica pattern. It was enlarged in the late fifth century A.D. and rebuilt in A.D. 597. The church is first mentioned in an account of a pilgrimage made by a lady Aetheria in A.D. 394. Six tombs have been found hollowed from the natural rock beneath the mosaic-covered floor of the church. In the modern chapel presbytery, built to protect the site and provide worship space, can be seen remnants of mosaic floors from different periods. The earliest of these is a panel with a braided cross presently placed on the east end of the south wall.

On March 20, 2000, Pope John Paul II visited the site during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Mount Nebo being one of the most important Christian sites in Jordan). During his visit he planted an olive tree beside the Byzantine chapel as a symbol of peace.

Pope Benedict XVI visited the site on May 9, 2009, gave a speech, and looked out from the top of the mountain in the direction of Jerusalem.

The serpentine cross sculpture (the Brazen Serpent Monument) atop Mount Nebo was created by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni. It is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4–9) and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.

Less than 10 kilometers (6miles) northwest of Madaba, towards the River Jordan, Mont Nebo soars above the great eastern plateau that stretches out to the West Bank and beyond. Nebo rises to about 800 meters (2.625 feet) at its apex and has, as its two most prominent crests, Syagha and el-Mukhayyet. Scholars have strong evidence that Mount Nebo has been inhabited since the earliest times. An array of prehistoric flint and stone tools has been discovered in the region. The land, once abundant with rare creatures’ valleys and sweet water springs, made the area perfect for habitation. It was there that Moses is said to have stood, forbidden by God to enter the Promised Land. On Nebo, Pisgah in the Bible, he was said to have lived out his days and, so legend has it, was finally interred. From Syagha there is a matchless panorama of the West Bank stretching westwards. From this natural viewpoint one can make out the River Jordan, on the plateau floor, as well as Bethlehem, the Mount of Olives and, on a clear day, Jerusalem. On the cusp of Mount Nebo, looking out towards the Promised Land rises a snake fashioned from iron, curled around a cross. It represent the bronze serpent taken up by Moses when he was in the desert, as well as signifying the Cross on which Jesus was crucified