| July 11, 2009 Page 3 Among the towering columns and paved walkways, the merchants haggled their good while the weary tradesmen rested, perhaps finding entertainment in the large amphitheater or hippodrome and then soaking in the public baths. The religious would offer sacrifice to the gods and goddesses in the several shrines and temples, later converted to Byzantine churches and cathedrals. The shops and plazas bustled with every class and every tongue. To this day, the tread marks from busy carts and chariots scar the giant stone blocks below our feet.
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I have never visited Europe. Yet, as my companions and I explored the endless streets and ruins of Jarash for several hours, the silent memories chiseled in stone and inspired by imagination transported us to ancient Rome whose legacy still stands in this part of the world.
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