Day trip to Bethany Beyond the Jordan

Bethany Beyond the Jordan, also known as Bethabara, according to the New Testament and Al Maghtas in Arabic ,means baptism or immersion. It is another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Jordan, located on the eastern bank of the Jordan river. On the other side of the river is the city of Jericho, which is part of Israel. It is traditionally believed that Jesus Christ was baptized here by St. John the Baptist in the river Jordan and for that reason it has been venerated by pilgrims and visitors from Byzantine times.

Bethany Beyond the Jordan should not be confused with the town of Bethany near Jerusalem, located in the West Bank . Bethany near Jerusalem is renowned as the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus and is venerated as the site where Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead.

Though it was almost on the last leg of our journey that we visited Bethany Beyond the Jordan ,most tour operators club it in with Mount Nebo and Madaba. Since we were self-driving our reason for leaving it till the end was mostly logistic.

Reaching Bethany Beyond the Jordan

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We reached Bethany Beyond the Jordan relatively late ,around 3 pm. We parked the car at the Visitor’s Center and waited to board one of the shuttle buses that would take us to the main site. It is I guess, mandatory to take a guided tour and I don’t know whether it is possible to see the place independently. Having a guide was somewhat helpful in understanding the place better, though the guide himself wasn’t exactly that informative -he just went on naming the places as we passed by them.

Historical significance of Bethany Beyond the Jordan

According to the Gospel of John, Bethany Beyond the Jordan was a key location in early Christianity. As mentioned earlier, it is associated with John the Baptist‘s ministry and Jesus‘ baptism. From the 4th century AD, Christian pilgrims visited the site, and churches, chapels, and monasteries were built. During the Islamic and Ottoman periods the region remained significant, in spite of Christian structures declining over time. In the 1990‘s, archaeological excavations revealed churches, baptismal pools, and ancient ruins confirming its historical and religious importance. In 2015, the site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its religious and archaeological significance.

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Things to do at Bethany Beyond the Jordan

As soon as we reached the gates of the site our guide insisted that we visit the small souvenir shop adjacent to it to buy vials or containers to carry holy water from the site. The shop was full of souvenirs and memorabilia related to the holy site, to Jordan, to Jerusalem , to Jesus Christ and to Christianity in general. We bought a few knickknacks and after spending 10-15 minutes there all the visitors who came by the same shuttle bus gathered in front of the gate to enter the actual site.

When visiting Bethany Beyond the Jordan, you can see the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ, explore the ruins of early Christian churches and baptismal pools dating back to the Byzantine and Roman periods, walk along the Jordan River and experience the sacred waters where pilgrims often partake in baptismal rituals.

You can also visit Elijah’s Hill also known as Tell Mar Elias, a site linked to the Prophet Elijah’s ascension to heaven. This place offers panoramic views of the surrounding desert and the Jordan River but our tour didn’t include Tell Mar Elias .

After entering the gates ,we walked under the Pilgrim Walkways -a wooden canopied path leading to the actual Baptism site – and stopped at various viewing platforms. The land around us was mostly arid with an abundance of cypress and olive trees, and desert shrubs. The walk along the pathways lead to key locations, with informational plaques and paintings. The viewing spots allowed visitors to take in the peaceful landscape and the sacred riverbank. From one of the platforms we saw the golden dome of the main Greek orthodox church rising above the muddy waters of the Jordan river.

Baptism of Jesus

Soon we reached the Baptism Site of Jesus -the most sacred spot, believed to be where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Usually you get a chance to see and touch the river where Jesus was baptized and visitors observe religious ceremonies and even take part in a symbolic baptism there, but that day none from the group was allowed to.

Though the river here was little more than a narrow, winding trickle with murky water, I felt a surge of emotion—goosebumps rising on my skin—as I stood in that sacred place, trying to envision Jesus Christ standing there, stepping into the water, being baptized and symbolically cleansed of all impurity. I imagined the large wooden canopy nearby was a structure where, in biblical times, pilgrims once waited reverently for their turn to be baptized by St. John the Baptist.

Jesus Christ was baptized at Bethany Beyond the Jordan when He was an adult. There are several reasons for His baptism. His baptism signified His obedience to God’s will , marked the beginning of His public ministry, symbolized His future role in taking on humanity’s sins and publicly affirmed Jesus as the Son of God. It also sanctified the waters of the river.

The Jordan River

We saw the Jordan river closely from a viewing canopy adorned with plaques and different paintings of the Pope’s visit along with paintings of the Royal family of Jordan. After a few minutes our guide led us through the same walkway to the golden-domed Greek Orthodox Church. In front of the Church were the stairs that led down to the main part of the Jordan river where actual baptisms took part. Here the river was a little wider but the water was still a muddy brown colour.

At the bottom of the stairs we saw some baptism ceremonies taking place – one of a new born baby and one of an adult. From here we could see Jericho on the other side with the flag of Israel hoisted. The Israel side was more modern and though I had read somewhere that more baptism programs took part on that side ,the day we had gone there weren’t any ceremonies being held . The Jordan side had a more ancient, authentic feel to it which was all the more enhanced due to the ceremonies taking place there.

The Greek Orthodox St. John the Baptist Church

Next we entered the modern Church of St. John the Baptist-a modern Greek Orthodox church near the river . The church was built to commemorate St. John the Baptist’s role in Jesus‘ baptism.

The tiny church features a striking golden dome and is built in a traditional Byzantine architectural style, reflecting early Christian influences. The interior is richly decorated with colorful , religious frescoes, mosaics, and icons depicting the life of John the Baptist and Jesus’ baptism.

Primarily a deep turquoise in color, it is surrounded by large ,vibrant frescoes on the walls and ceiling and a huge mosaic in the middle of the floor. The church, along with nearby ancient ruins of early Christian baptismal sites, highlights the area’s deep religious history.

The Museum

The site also has a tiny museum near the entrance. Our guide took us there after we completed our tour of the church. The entrance was almost hidden from our sight ,covered with trees and shrubs .

The Bethany Beyond the Jordan Museum is a small but significant museum .There are many archaeological discoveries -artifacts dating back to the Byzantine and early Islamic periods , pottery, mosaics, and stone inscriptions found at the site.

Christian iconography and frescoes depicting John the Baptist, Jesus’ baptism, and early Christian pilgrims, replicas of ancient baptismal fonts and crosses used in early Christian ceremonies, historical documents and maps, records from early pilgrims like Theodosius and the Madaba Map are also displayed here.

You can also find documents detailing the rediscovery and excavation of Bethany Beyond the Jordan in the 1990s and interactive displays like multimedia presentations explaining the biblical and historical significance of the baptism site. The museum helps visitors better understand the spiritual and archaeological legacy of the region.

TO Learn more about “Bethany Beyond the Jordan”visit the Official Site here.

The tour was for about an hour and a half . Though the guided tour didn’t turn out to be that helpful- the guide himself in a rush to finish the tour – it was an altogether impactful experience because of the extraordinary significance of the place.

The memories of this place will be etched in my mind for a very long time. The shuttle bus took us back to the Visitors Center from where we continued our journey – this time to Amman..