The Mute In The Olive Grove

Mount Nebo felt like a place from biblical times. The chalky soil, old houses, and quaint cafés made it seem as though I had traveled thousands of years into the past. The taxi driver dropped me at the top of the mount, suggesting I take my time exploring. As I wandered, I reached a high point where a group of Chinese tourists gathered in a choir, singing a hymn with passion and faith, even though I couldn’t understand a word.

A woman standing next to me pointed out the desert stretching into the distance and the River Jordan cutting through it. She explained that across the river lay Israel and the city of Jericho. Gesturing to a specific spot, she mentioned it was where Jesus was baptized.

Though I don’t like to be categorized into any particular religion, I am spiritual. I felt a sense of awe and peace rise within me as I stood there, absorbing the surroundings.

According to the Old Testament, Mount Nebo is where God showed Moses the Promised Land, Israel. But Moses never set foot there; instead, he passed away on Mount Nebo, and the location of his tomb remains a mystery.

To my right, I noticed an olive grove and wandered into it. I found a clearing where a middle-aged man in work clothes was boiling tea over a wood fire. A circle of stones surrounded a few burning twigs, and a blackened kettle bubbled away. I greeted him, and he smiled. I asked him something—I don’t remember what—but he gestured toward his mouth, indicating that he was mute. I returned his smile, and he invited me to sit beside him on a stone.

He poured a glass of sweet, mint-flavored tea and handed it to me, his expression asking, How is it? I gave him a thumbs-up in response.

Sitting in that grove on Mount Nebo, with the warm glass of tea, sharing a moment with a man who spoke only through gestures, was deeply peaceful.

Later, as my taxi wound down toward the Dead Sea, below sea level, a Bedouin in black and red robes, accompanied by a pony, emerged from the desert. It was a picture-perfect moment, like something straight out of the Bible.