![]() Michele Piccirillo, a Franciscan priest and the archaeologist in charge, uncovered the extraordinary Diakonikon-Baptistery mosaic in the northern hall of the basilica, below a simple mosaic floor. The center of the complex is a basilica built between 5th and 6th Cent. In 1932, the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land acquired the two main archaeological sites of Mount Nebo: Ras Siyagha (Memorial of Moses) and Khirbet al-Mukhayyat (identified later as the City of Nebo.) Since then, extensive excavations, surveys and a comprehensive preservation and conservation program have been undertaken by archaeologists of the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum of Jerusalem, unearthing a large monastic complex encompassing an area of about 6,640 sqm. The pilgrimage account of the nun Egeria describing her ascent to the sanctuary at the end of the 4th Cent., and the biography of Peter the Iberian, who visited it a century later, were decisive for the identification of the Moses Memorial on Mount Nebo. the region attracted the attention of explorers, including Felicien de Saulcy (1853 – first regional map), Le Duc de Luynes (1864 – first photo and sketch of the ruins), among others, who contributed to the descriptions of the territory in relation to the biblical texts. The earliest of these is a panel with a braided cross presently placed on the east end of the south wall.ĭuring the 19th Cent. In the present presbytery you can see remnants of mosaic floors from different periods. ![]() It had three apses and was preceded by a vestibule paved with plain white mosaic two funeral chapels stood to the north and south of the lateral apses.Īt Mount Nebo, Six tombs have been found hollowed from the natural rock beneath the mosaic-covered floor of the church. Mount Nebo’s first church was constructed in the 2nd half of the 4th century to commemorate the place of Moses’ death. Three long archaeological campaigns had previously resulted in the discovery of the Basilica and of a large monastery, which had continued to expand through the 6th century. ![]() ![]() Mount Nebo – In the summer of 1933, excavations at Syagha, one of the highest peaks at Mount Nebo, began under the direction of the Jerusalemite Franciscan Fathers. These pilgrims left behind vivid accounts of their travels, which helped archaeologists identify this sanctuary. Centuries ago, pilgrims flocked to Mount Nebo on their final destination to visit the sanctuary. ![]()
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