Then Jesus came from the Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John (Matthew 3:13) -
This took place in the Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptising (John 1.28),
please don’t be impressed with my biblical knowledge, is coming straight out of another “bible”, the one of travellers (lonely planet).
This is thought (biblical and historical) to be the place where John preached and where Jesus was baptised and where the first five apostles met and where, thereby, the foundations of early Christianity was laid. Also, according to the legend (I know with holy places and religion you have to be careful with this characterization) this is the place where the prophet Elijah ascended to heaven in a whirlwind.
The lonely planet says also: “although John was later beheaded by Herod at Machaerus and Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem, the meeting between the two men at this spot in the fertile Jordan Valley was one of hope and one of new beginning”. I quote this because, this is exactly how this place felt to me and how I experienced it (and then before reading this in the lonely planet). Partly it’s of course of the story behind the place. But it’s not just that. First of all the place feels so peaceful, so tranquil, I would almost say stilled. It’s (for Jordan’s concepts) so green, birds are singing. Than of course it is a holy place. But it was also the meandering small stream, the Jordan River (river is a different concept here than watery Holland). It also reminded me of one of my favourite places back home in Holland, the province where I am from, there also is a great nature/culture landscape area, called Drentsche Aa area. It’s a bit similar, also a small meandering stream, green, quiet. But most important I think it was because actually being at that place, I could sense how things could have been during those days. It’s one of those moments I know why I am here. I don’t only have it with religion places, I get the same feeling when I am in Jerash (old Greece/roman city), at certain places it is like walking in the ancient city again. Petra could feel the same (if there were not so many tourist)
The place is about a 45 minute drive from Amman (another reason that I sometimes think WOW, I live only less than an hour drive, from the place, it is believed where Jesus was baptised). I visited in May, when my friend Fiona was visiting.
The site lies in the middle of a military zone (the contradiction in termini, a so peaceful stilled place in a military zone), so you park at the visitors centre. This centre is HUGE, with a lot of space for shops, souvenirs, café’s, restaurants, but only space it’s huge and empty. Not even a cup of tea to get, not even a machine. We got our cups when we kindly asked the tour guide for a cup. A shuttle bus takes you to the site; first you pass the place where Elijah take off to heaven, than a military check point and finally the place where it all took place.
The Jordan River is also the border between Israel (or the occupied Palestinian areas) and Jordan, that explain why it is a military zone, you pass a check point, can go only in groups and with a tour guide and may (unfortunately) only stay there for one hour
Around the site, many churches were or are built are still building. Catholic, Greece orthodox, Syrian orthodox, protestant (not totally sure), just name a “branch” of the Christian religion and they are “represented” there. It’s also interesting to see how the differences in believe is reflected in the churches, the Catholic one as cathedral of course the biggest, the orthodox ones with a lot of shiny gold and colour. But I couldn’t help seeing all this: “one god, one book, one Jesus...”,what would Jesus have thought if he would have seen all this?
The nicest, most beautiful church is the Creece orthodox one (see below a picture of it), that is only one really on the site area (others are built around it)
When you enter the place, first you pass the place, what actually is believed as the place where it all happened. I put pictures of it below, with some fantasy the water has the shape of a cross. If you think a little deepter, you realise “yet but that must be of later time”, because at the time Jesus was bapisted I don’t think anyone knew than that he was going to be crucified. So important to keep on realising the sequence of the facts. But it is also thought this place has been used for early Christianity to baptise people. For sure it has been a holy place or at least a place of special meaning from early Christianity, because several layers church buildings from Byzantic time have been excavated here. Here my lonely planet lets me down and I have to rely on what the tour guide told me. I think he said four layers/fundaments of byzantic churches have been found right next to the Baptist place. That these layers are overlapping, it a common thing in history. If a religious building was destroyed (war, earthquake) a new one was often build on the foundation of the old one. One the reasons they know for sure the remains are a byzantic church is the mosaic floors (found all over the Middle East). See below for the pictures of that.
Then if you keep on walking you pass the beautiful Greece Orthodox Church, who stands very close to the place people still can get baptised. You actually get into the river and go under. For this purpose there is even a small changing room. See below some pictures of me sitting at the stairs, feeling the holy water (only with my hands) and Fiona with her feed. A real special feeling, I have to admit, touching this “holy” Jordan water. Here at the other side of the Jordan, that’s Israel, also on that site people still get baptised nowadays.
If you ever come to Jordan or the Middle-East, Christian or non-Christian, don’t miss this place.
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