Idée #563 – Going to the Christ’s baptism site in Bethanie
Bethanie beyond the Jordan, in 9 km from Dead Sea, is one of two places where John the Baptist baptized, and where he would have met for the first time Jesus, according to the Gospel attributed to Jean (Jn 1,28; 3,26). The tradition indeed asserts that the wadi Gharrar, a small affluent of the Jordan, wass nourishing by approximately five springs, provided the water used by Jean Baptiste during its baptisms.
The archeological site includes two main archeological areas, Tell Al-Kharrar, also known under the name of Jabal Mar Elias (Élie’s hill), and the zone of churches Saint-Jean-Baptiste near the Jordan. Vestiges of Roman and Byzantine origin, such as churches and chapels, monastery, caves having been of use as refuges to hermits and to baptismal ponds, testify of the religious value of the place. The site is a destination of pilgrimage for the Christians; Pope Jean-Paul II visited the site in March, 2000, just like Benoît XVI in May, 2009 and François in May, 2014. In 2015, the site was registered on the UNESCO world heritage. The Jordanian government favors the construction of churches and reception centers there by attributing lots to various Christian communities.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Bethanie, Al Maghtas, Jordan