How to visit and what to see in Bethany (Jordan), place of the Baptism of Jesus Christ

As soon as you inform yourself before travel to Jordan, you will realize that for much of it you will be stepping on biblical lands.

You already know that the great historical place of religious reference is Jerusalem, and I can tell you that you can see the reflection of the city lights if you drive at night along the Jordanian shore of the Dead Sea.

But there are many other places, already in Jordan, where various biblical events took place, both from Old as the New Testament, such as Lot's Sanctuary, Along the Dead Sea, or the Mount AaronNear Petra.

What is and where is the place of the Baptism of Jesus

Without a doubt, one of the places you can visit where you will feel mysticism emerge the most is in Bethany of Transjordan, Near Jericho.

As identified by medieval Byzantine texts, it is the place where Jesus He received the baptism by Juan Bautista.

This enclave is located on the border line between Jordan e Israel, which is delimited by the course of the Jordan river, so you can visit it from both Jordan and Israel.

What to see when visiting Bethany

In your visit of Bethany, on the side of Jordan, you will find two very different corners.

On the one hand, archaeological excavations that have been carried out since 1996. after which the exact point where it is thought that Jesus He received the baptism.

And on the other hand, a curious place in Israeli side, On the banks of Jordan river, where every day groups of Jews carry out in the waters of the Jordan river la baptism ceremony.

These baptisms They are made by introducing the body three successive times into the waters of the river, in the image and likeness of how it is said to have been made. Jesus.

But you should know that the course of the aforementioned Jordan river Nowadays it has no resemblance to how it was in the time of Jesus.

In addition to its different layout, the water flow is much lower, largely due to the construction of a dam upstream by the Israelites, one of the reasons why the Dead Sea It is drying out at great speed.

Therefore, now you do not find a wide river, but rather narrow channels through which the water flows in places of leafy reeds.

Right in the channel that separates the current border between Israel y Jordan, after the occupation of the territories of West bank In one of the wars of the last century, currently, facing each other, with a distance of no more than 10 meters, there are two platforms that allow access to the waters of the Jordan river.

When you reach the very simple wooden platform on the Jordanian side, you discover in front a complex of buildings that serves as a base for communities of Jewish citizens to emulate every day. the Baptism of Jesus.

El Jordanian enclave of Bethany It was opened to visitors in 2000, and the Pope Juan Pablo II attended its inauguration as a sign of its recognition by the Vatican.

Years later, in 2011, the Israelites established their own enclave, which was a new reason for diplomatic conflict between both countries.

What are baptisms like in Bethany?

The truth is that on the visit we made to the Jordanian side, the baptisms made from the Israeli side became an attraction.

Specifically, what was most striking were the large groups of orthodox jews that, covered by a thin white layer, were entering in a file into the waters of the Jordán.

That was definitely an invitation to my friends. Cristina y Doris who, without hardly hesitation, decided to make their own baptism ceremony, inserting their heads three times into the aforementioned waters, quite dirty, by the way.

Our Jordanian companions and the rest of our group were really impressed.

In sum, in Bethany not only are you going to visit an archaeological site, but you have the opportunity to reaffirm your religious feelings.

It is also customary to take you as souvenir a bottle with river water...which will force you to be inventive when checking it in with your suitcase to avoid it being taken away from you at the airport.

Excursion to Bethany in Jordan

From Amman you have the option to sign up for one excursion to Bethany with guide in Spanish.

It's a private tour ideal for a group of family or friends, so that in a six-hour day, in addition to the location where Jesus was baptized, you will visit the Dead Sea.