No Fewer than 300 Nigerians have safely arrived in Amman, the capital of Jordan, for the 2022 pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

The pilgrimage arrived in Amman in the early hours of December 17 for a nine-day pilgrimage to historical sites of the teachings of Jesus Christ as recorded in the bible.

The pilgrims were sponsored to the Holy Land by the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.

On the first day of the visit, the pilgrims were conducted around the historic site of the Citadel, which is located on a hill in Amman’s downtown area.

The Citadel is home to the remains and incredible creations of past civilisations that occupied Jordan’s capital.

At the site, the pilgrims explore the remains of the Temple of Hercules, built by the Romans, buildings that formed part of the Umayyad Palace, and ruins of a sixth-century Byzantine church.

One of the tour guides, Red’ Ar, said during the Iron Age, present day Amman was known as “Rabbath-Ammon” and it was the capital city of the ancient Ammonite people.

Mr Ar told the pilgrims that the bible had no expiration date as he led pilgrims to sight the 5,000-capacity Roman Theatre, where the Romans used to gather to give offerings to God.

The pilgrims were also allowed into Jordan’s Archaeological Museum to sight historic images and artefacts.

Before departing Enugu on Friday, Mr Ugwuanyi urged the pilgrims to be of good conduct in the Holy Land and not to abscond from the city of Jordan.

One of the pilgrims, Anselem Ekpungu, told journalists that the visit had allowed him to see the sites and happenings that were recorded in the bible.

He thanked Mr Ugwuanyi for the sponsorship, praying for God to sustain him as he continues to sponsor more pilgrims to the Holy Land. 

(NAN)