You Can Now Stand Where Moses Saw the Promised Land

The site that ancient tradition holds is where Moses saw the Promised Land before dying has reopened to the public.

Catholic News Service reports that the Memorial of Moses on Mount Nebo in Jordan is now open again, after being closed for nearly 10 years for restoration.

A church and monastery are located at the site, on top of the 3,300-foot mountain facing the northern end of the Dead Sea.

Christian pilgrims have gathered there for centuries; it is viewed as one of the most significant areas in Jordan and the Holy Land for pilgrimages, tourists, and archaeological studies.

"The spiritual treasures that this place holds today are returned to Jordan and to humanity," said Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, special envoy of Pope Francis and prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches. He spoke to a gathering of around 500 dignitaries.

The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land acquired the area in 1932 and led excavations there. The archaeological digs uncovered remains of a basilica built in 597 A.D. That structure was built on a fourth-century church foundation and Byzantine mosaic pavements.

The simple shelter protecting these significant discoveries was falling apart and needed to be replaced.

"I am very happy to represent here the Holy Father Francis and to be in the place of Moses when he received only the vision of the Promised Land," Cardinal Sandri told Catholic News Service.

"We are always walking to the Promised Land of peace, fraternity, justice, freedom for all the world in the name of Jesus Christ," he continued.

Cardinal Sandri passed along Pope Francis' words for those in attendance when he complimented Jordan for keeping religious and historic artifacts safe, especially during a time when they have been decimated in nearby Syria and Iraq.