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Due to its association with the Prophet Moses, the Byzantine monastery of Mount Nebo (AD 491-640) was (and still is) a popular pilgrimage destination in the southern Levant. Although foreign monastics were probably attracted to the monastery, communal interment has obscured the diverse origins of the people buried here. The authors use biogeochemical and onomastic inquiry to examine a cosmopolitan monastic 'mosaic' of identity. Isotopic analyses of tooth enamel reveal the presence of a sizeable number (47 per cent) of non-local migrants buried at the site. Mosaic inscriptions provide further evidence for the ethnic diversity of the population. Keywords: Jordan, Mount Nebo, Byzantine, monasticism, isotopic analysis, Introduction Early Christian monasticism promoted a collective identity, in which personal identity was blurred by clothing, gesture and modified appearance--the monastic 'social skin' (Turner 2012). Individuality was correspondingly denied in [...]

Recent archaeological investigation at Khirbat al-Mukhayyat and nearby Rujm al-Mukhayyat in west-central Jordan have sought to determine the nature and date of Iron Age activity at these sites. Identified as the Nebo of biblical tradition and the Mesha Inscription, Khirbat al-Mukhayyat fulfilled a strategic role within the region. Positioned at the western edge of the Transjordanian plateau, the site holds a commanding view of the Jordan Valley and Judean highlands to the west, enabling inhabitants to monitor access to and from the Jordan Valley, as well to take advantage of agricultural opportunity within the region. This strategic position is reflected in Mukhayyat's contested history under Israelite, Moabite, and eventually Assyrian control. With significant contexts dating to the Iron IIB and Iron IIC at Khirbat al-Mukhayyat, and late Iron Age/Persian period activity at the Rujm al-Mukhayyat, this paper presents the preliminary results of excavation and survey efforts together with ceramic data, providing an important contribution to the study of the Iron Age in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]