The end of our second day in Jordan brought us far off the main highway in the ancient region of Gilead. As we arrived at our destination, our instructions were to put our skills of observation together to examine the ancient structure at the site and determine its age and purpose. We had a mystery on our hands and I was bound and determined to solve it!
We found an ancient stone building. Walking around it, I saw lions carved in several places. There was a pair of columns on each end. It was looking like a temple to me.
Then we went inside. It wasn’t long before I felt I needed to abandon my temple theory because it just didn’t fit. Temples normally face east and this was facing north. Temples have a central focal point inside, of which this was completely lacking. Looking at the rooms inside, it reminded me a little of some of the homes we had previously seen. Was this a palace? There were also a couple towers in the corners of the building with slits that looked like positions for firing arrows. Was this a fortress? If so, there were large windows/holes in the main wall. As for age, I was lost.
After 15 minutes or so, we were called together to discuss what we found. We gave out everything we had found. Then we were told what this place was. There was a Jew, Hyrcanus of the Tobiad family, who fled here around 200 BC when the Seleucid Greeks (from the north) took over Israel from the Ptolemaic Greeks (from the south). He was in line as ruler of the land, but with their new overlords he was out. Here be built this small palace/fortress (his Tyre castle) to wait in this place to wait to reclaim his crown. When he realized that day would never come, he committed suicide. Uplifting story, huh?
The sun was setting as we departed. Before our long drive down to Petra, we stopped at the nearby cliff face where the name Tobiah is written in the rock of the cliff.
