Biblical Archaeology in a Day, Site IX~Tell Mudayna--Jahaz

Biblical Archaeology in a Day, Site I~ Tell Al'Umeiri
Biblical Archaeology in a Day, Site II~ Ataroth
Biblical Archaeology in a Day, Site III~Machaerus
Biblical Archaeology in a Day, Site IV~ Khirbet Iskander
Biblical Archaeology in a Day, Site V~Dibon
Biblical Archaeology in a Day, Site VI~Aroer
Biblical Archaeology in a Day, Site VII~Um Ar Rasas, Burj Sa'man
Biblical Archaeology in a Day, Site VIII~St. Stephen's Church and Kestron Mefaa

Well into the afternoon hours, we were all beginning to suffer from what our guide termed "rock fatigue." I would add the adjectives"dust" and "heat". However, our guide looked so genuinely anticipatory about taking us to the next site that we pressed on. What particularly endeared him to the site was the fact that "hardly anyone knows about it!"

I can see why. We turned, turned, and turned again, through dusty, barren territory. And just when we thought that we were in the middle of a dull-brown nowhere, a tin-roofed shanty town appeared, apparently inhabited by workers who were pumping water out of some underground reservoir. Other than the settlement and some water trucks, evidence of a water source was an oleander-filled valley.
We descended, on foot, through the valley, and then ascended Tell Mudayna, believed to be the site of the ancient Amorite settlement of Jahaz.

But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered all his people together and went out against Israel to the wilderness and came to Jahaz and fought against Israel. And Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword...

Numbers 21:23,24

Nerium oleander