Bethany Beyond the Jordan

And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

--Mark 1:4-11

Considered one of the most important finds in Biblical archaeology, Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan is believed to be the site of Jesus' baptism by John and the area where the Prophet Elijah ascended into Heaven (2 Kings 2:5-18). After examining multiple historical accounts in which several churches were mentioned, archaeologists uncovered an astonishing 21 ancient sites. Most excavations, however, were not carried out until 1996 following the 1994 Peace Treaty between Israel and Jordan and two subsequent years of clearing land mines along the border.

Although the ruins do not date back to Christ's time, most scholars believe this is the Biblical location of Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan; and the majority agree Jesus was not baptized on the west bank of Israel, contrary to some opinions. In 2000, the Armenian church officially declared the site to be the location of Jesus' baptism and Pope John Paul II held an outdoor mass for 25,000 worshippers.

Today, people from all over the world make their way to the different sites in order to catch a glimpse at what may be the exact scene of Jesus' baptism, if not a general location of where it happened. Because much of the Jordan River is used upstream by both Israel and Jordan, it has been reduced to a muddy stream without the flow of heavy currents. Its position as nearly the lowest point on Earth means temperatures soar to 113 degrees Fahrenheit most days, except during winter.

In addition to viewing the river itself, pilgrims to the site can arrange religious ceremonies at any of the various baptism pools. The local gift shops at the site's entrance sell white robes if people prefer to outwardly commemorate the occasion. However, we toured the sites alongside a Russian family who chose to enter the muddy Jordan River itself with their crisp white robes. If I could send them a letter, it would read something like this:

Dear family who wore white robes,

The muddy water made them transparent.

We all saw everything.

Perhaps you should've worn a swim suit underneath.

Sorry,

The other people in your tour group

A map of the Church of John the Baptist. Some people believe the actual site of Jesus' baptism to be located at the bottom of the map near the arch, where the river splits.

7th-century Church of John the Baptist. From the map, the arch (and location of Jesus' baptism) would've been located near the end of the stairs in the forefront of the photo.

The Jordan River today—the Israeli border is directly across the water.

Unfortunately, my foot was caked in a thin layer of mud after dipping it into the river and subsequently targeted by flies.

New Orthodox Church of St. John the Baptist