NEBO. – ABGAR (v.) range, situated east of the Dead Sea. The mountain
(ebr. har Nèbbô; Septuagint Naβaô) is bounded on the north by the Wâdi en-Naml and 'Ajûn Mûsâ; on the south by the Wâdi el-Afrit (a reminiscence of Iude. 9?), el-Gedejd, and el-Kenejseh, so named after the springs they encounter. Among these, 'Ajûn Mûsâ is noteworthy for its associations. The mountain has three principal peaks: en-Nebâ in the middle, Sijâgah, Phasga (v.), to the west, and Mehajjet (the ancient city of N.) to the south. The entire region is full of dolmens, menhirs, and cromlechs. Above 'Ajûn Mûsâ, on the Wâdi en-Naml, a collection of vessels with four scarabs from the second Bronze Age period was discovered in a cave. The ruins of dwellings are found near the springs, at the foot of en-Nebâ, known as el-Hejsh, and especially at Sijâgah and Mehajjet. An ancient road, bordered by large blocks, came from Madaba and, branching at en-Nebâ, reached 'Ajûn Mûsâ and Mehajjet. Although en-Nebâ is the highest peak (835 m.), the view of Palestine is broader from Sijâgah, which indeed preserves the memory of Moses’ vision (Deut. 3, 27; 32, 49; 33, 34) and of his death.
The city of N., today commonly identified with Mehajjet, is mentioned in Num. 32, 3; 33, 47, on the stele of Mesha, in Is. 15, 2; Ier. 48, 1; I Mach. 9, 37, in the Onomasticum, and in the Life of Peter the Iberian (5th century). Near its spring, or 'Ajûn Gedejd, a collection of vessels from the first Bronze Age period was found in a cave; the hill is bordered at the top by a wall and, although pottery from the Iron and Hellenistic periods has appeared in occasional soundings, the ruins visible today are Byzantine. Among these are four churches, whose excavations were carried out between 1931 and 1938 by the Custody of the Holy Land: one dedicated to ss. Lot and Procopius, and one to s. George, with beautiful mosaic pavements depicting scenes from daily life. They include 36 human figures and 88 animals.