Mount Nebo is the place, from where Prophet Moses after 40 years in the desert overlooked the promised land and died. The mount, 800 meters above sea level, became a place of pilgrimage for early Christians and on the highest point of the mountain, Syagha, the remains of a Byzantine church and monastery were discovered in 1933 by the Franciscan Archaeological Institute.

The church was first constructed in the second half of the 4th century to commemorate the place of Moses' death. In the modern chapel you can see magnificent remnants of mosaic floors from different periods depicting various types of animals and a bronze sculpture. Beneath the mosaic floor six tombs had been found.

From Mount Nebo you have a panorama of the Holy Land; usually Jericho is visible and on clear days also Jerusalem. Mount Nebo is one of the most revered holy sites of Jordan and according to the Bible the place where Moses was buried by God: "And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And The Lord showed him all the land …"

On March 19, 2000, Pope John Paul II visited Mt. Nebo during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. During his visit he planted an olive tree beside the Byzantine chapel as a symbol of peace. In the same year the Catholic Church designated Mount Nebo as Millenium pilgrimage site. Pope Benedict visited the site in May 2009.

Outside the sanctuary you find the serpentine cross sculpture, known as the Brazen Serpent Monument, created by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni. It is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.