Jahshan, Odeh (d. 1953)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1953 May 21 p. 5

Birth date:

text of obituary:

. . .

Interpreter in Jordan Dies

The M.C.C. program in Jordan has lost a valuable assistant and supporter in the death of Odeh Jahshan, who served as an interpreter for M.C.C. personnel and guide for many Mennonite visitors to the Holy Land.

Brother Jahshan died May 2 after a week of illness caused by a severe heart attack. He is credited with helping the work in Jericho as perhaps no other person in Jordan did.

Being a Christian himself, he understood the Christian motivation of the M.C.C. program in Jordan and explained it in the Arabic language to a countless number of people. He interpreted for the M.C.C. workers in their government contacts, translated documents, and gave business advice.

Word of his death will be of particular interest to many Holy Land visitors for whom he served as guide. These visitors include the Menno Travel Service groups during the past several years. His rich source of information gathered over many years enabled him to explain places of interest in the Holy Land authentically and, at the same time in their proper Scriptural setting.