Moses' Spring

Mt Nebo


This spring is one of two places where Moses is believed to have obtained water by striking a rock. Six giant eucalyptus trees mark the spot, and there’s an occasional waterfall over the lip of the rocks if it’s been raining, but there’s little to see except the low-lying ruins of a couple of churches nearby. There's no public transport to the site. Walking down from the main road is easy; coming back up is the killer.

To reach the site from Madaba, turn right at the sign about 1km before the church at Mt Nebo. A 2.4km switchback road to the spring is steep (but sealed) and offers a close-up view of Bedouin encampments, hunkered down against the elements. Arums grow in abundance among the rocky patches of tilled ground, and small, fertile wadis bristle with citrus and olive trees. Sadly, the littered site is disfigured by discarded concrete buildings and is badly in need of a clean-up.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Mt Nebo attractions

1. Memorial Viewpoint

0.96 MILES

Moses' view of the Promised Land towards ancient Gilead, Judah, Jericho and the Negev is marked by an Italian-designed bronze memorial next to the Moses…

2. Moses Memorial Church

0.98 MILES

On top of Mt Nebo, this modest church, or more accurately basilica, was built around 4th-century foundations in 597 and has just undergone major…

3. La Storia Tourism Complex

0.99 MILES

This new ethnographic diorama, 2km before Mt Nebo on the Nebo–Madaba road, features an exhibition of tableaux billed as depictions of the religious,…

4. Church of SS Lot & Procopius

1.15 MILES

Originally built in 557, this church houses a remarkable mosaic with scenes of daily life such as agricultural work, fishing and winemaking (in particular…

5. Wadi Jadid Dolmen Field

3.3 MILES

More terraced fields than wadi, Wadi Jadid is locally renowned for its remarkable collection of early Bronze Age burial chambers and stone memorials…

6. Tell Hesban

4.47 MILES

Amateur archaeologists will like Tell Hesban, 9km north of Madaba. Over the centuries this strategic hill has been a Bronze Age settlement, a Hellenistic…

7. St George’s Church & Mosaic Map

5.13 MILES

This rather modest 19th-century Greek Orthodox church houses a treasure of early Christianity. Imagine the excitement in 1884 when Christian builders came…

8. Archaeological Park II

5.19 MILES

Walkways lead around the ruins of this late-6th-century luxury private mansion, destroyed by fire and earthquake around 749. The walkways offer a good…