NEBO. — Mountain and city of the Abarim range (see ABARIM), situated east of the Dead Sea. The mountain (Hebr. har Nēbhō; LXX Naβaō) is bounded on the north by the Wādi en-Naml and 'Ajūn Mūsā; on the south by the Wādi cl-Afrit (a reminiscence of Judg. 9?), el-Gedejd and el-Kenejseh, so named for the springs they contain. Among these, 'Ajūn Mūsā is notable for its associations. The mountain has three principal peaks: en-Nebā in the centre, Sijāgah, which corresponds to the biblical Phasga (see PHASGA) to the west, and Meḥajjet (the ancient city of N.) to the south. The entire region is rich in dolmens, menhirs and cromlechs. Above 'Ajūn Mūsā, on the Wādi en-Naml, a collection of vessels with four scarabs from the second Bronze Age was found in a cave. The ruins of dwellings lie near the springs at the foot of en-Nebā, called el-Hejsah, and especially at Sijāgah and Meḥajjet. An ancient road, bordered by large blocks, came from Madaba and, branching at en-Nebā, reached 'Ajūn Mūsā and Meḥajjet. Although en-Nebā is the highest peak (835 m.), the view of Palestine is wider from Sijāgah, which preserves the memory of Moses’ vision (Deut. 3:27; 32:49; 33:47) and of his death.
The city of N., today commonly identified with Meḥajjet, is mentioned in Num. 32:3; 33:47, the Moabite Stone, Isa. 15:2; Jer. 48:1; 1 Macc. 9:37, the Onomasticon, and the Life of Peter the Iberian (5th cent.). Near its spring, or 'Ajūn Gedejd, a collection of vessels from the first Bronze Age was found in a cave; the hill is encircled at the top by a wall and, though occasional sherds of Iron Age and Hellenistic pottery have appeared, the ruins now visible are Byzantine. Among these are four churches, excavated between 1931 and 1938 by the Custody of the Holy Land: one dedicated to SS. Lot and Procopius, another to St George, with fine mosaic floors depicting scenes of everyday life. These contain 36 human figures and 88 animals.