Welcome

This is the official website of the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ. This unique site is where 2000 years ago Jesus came to see John to be baptized by him: Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him (Matthew 3:13). According to the Bible, it is just beyond the Jordan (John 3:26) i.e. on the East Bank of the River Jordan in what is now the modern day Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Bible says clearly: These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing (John 1:28).

Because this site marks the baptism of Jesus by John, and thus the beginning of Jesus's mission and indeed the beginning of Christianity it is considered to be one of the three holiest Christian sites in the world, together with Bethlehem (the Church of the Nativity) were Jesus was born and Jerusalem (the Church of the Holy Sepulcher) where Jesus's terrestrial mission ended (at least until the Second Coming).

This site has been recognized as the real (and only true) site where Jesus was baptized by all the major traditional Christian Churches (see: authentication) and has been visited by many Christian leaders including the late great Pope John Paul II (see: VIP Visitors / Christian Leaders). Many churches of different Christian denominations are built there or in the process of being built there (see: churches), now that, after the 1994 peace treaty between Israel and Jordan, it is no longer a military border zone. Many other world leaders, Christian and non-Christian have also visited the site (see: VIP Visitors).

This historical site is also where a number of other important spiritual events occurred in the Bible: apart from John's ministry and Jesus's baptism, it is where the Israelites, led by Joshua, first crossed into the promised land, and it is where Elijah was taken into Heaven on a Chariot of fire (see: Elijah's Hill). It is also the site where the St. Mary the Egyptian (see: St. Mary's Church) and other early Christian holy figures lived and died.

The site is now a legally protected National Jordanian Park run by an independent board of trustees appointed personally by H.M. King Abdullah II of Jordan, who considers its maintenance an honour and a sacred trust for future generations of Jordanians and Christian pilgrims from all over the world.

 

© 2008
 
Media Resources

  1. Jordan's king donates land for church at baptismal river site
    By The Christian Century,
    May 06, 2008
  2. Jordan's King Abdullah II donates land to Jerusalem diocese
    By Samir Habiby and Pat McCaughan,
    April 07, 2008
  3. Film details finding of Jesus' baptism site
    By Peter Smith,
    March 23, 2008
 
Baptism Site Documentary

"The Baptism of Jesus Christ - Uncovering Bethany beyond the Jordan" - A 53 minute documentary film about the baptism site discoveries was produced in 2007 by an independent film company: 'Ten Thousand Films'.