In the Bible’s book of Jeremaih, Mephaat was condemned to destruction.The Church of St. Stephen(785 AD) has a magnificent mosaic floor throughout the nave. The dedicatory inscription revealed the date of the mosaic and was is more important, identified Umm ar-Rasas as the ancient city of Kastron Mefaa. Below the inscription are the outlines of donor portraits (removed by iconoclasts), and fruit trees. The frame of the main mosaic with agricultural and hunting motifs is framed with depictions of the 15 region’s most important cities, each labeled in Greek.
See:
- http://ancientneareast.tripod.com/Rasas_Kastron_Mefaa.html
- http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1093
- https://www.catholic.org/travel/story.php?id=52437
- Michele Piccirillo, “L'identificazione Storica Delle Rovine Di Umm Er-Rasas - Kastron Mefaa in Giordania.” Biblica, vol. 71, no. 4, 1990, pp. 527–541