Tell Mar Elias, Ajloun Governorate, Jordan
Tell Mar Elias is a tell a mound of several archaeological strata, located only a little beyond the northwest limits of Ajloun in the Ajloun Governorate in northern Jordan and in the historical region Gilead referenced in Sacred Scripture. The ruins of the historical town of Listib or Tishbe, which 1 Kings, 17: 1 identifies as the residence and possibly even birthplace of the Prophet Elijah, are very proximate to the tell, being across a valley from it.
Because of its proximity to the assumed locus of historical and religiously significant Tishbe, 2 Christian churches were erected on the tell in the late Byzantine period: the site includes the ruins of one of the largest known Byzantine churches in Jordan. Artifacts from the site, including marble carvings and small metal religious objects, are displayed in the archaeological museum of nearby Ajloun Castle. Further, “respect for the spirit of Nebhī-Ilyâs is given to a grove of oak trees above the ruins” of the Byzantine churches there.
Epic Jordan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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