UN General Assembly
1965

3. The province of Syria, of which Jordan was a part, was the granary of the Roman Empire, and it gave four Emperors to Rome. Roman law and wisdom found consummate expression in our land. Save for the dreary winter months, the citizens of Amman — once known as Philadelphia — assemble to this day in the spacious and exquisite Roman amphitheatre to celebrate national and cultural occasions. The beautiful town of Jerash is the site of the largest Roman city that is to be found intact anywhere. And the unique grandeur of Petra, while built by the Nabatian Arabs, was also enriched by Roman contributions. But these terrestrial achievements, great as they are and great as is the treasure-house of history with which they abound, tell but a part of the story. For our land has been the cradle of man’s unending and unyielding yearning towards the sublime, and of humankind's penchant to discover God in His wisdom, mercy and love.