Holy River Jordan: a trip to the place of the baptism of Jesus Christ. The Jordan River is the place of the baptism of Jesus Christ. Laws associated with visiting places of miracles.

One of the most famous rivers on the planet is the Jordan River. It was mentioned several times in the Old and New Testaments as a place where miracles occur. Christian pilgrims come here with pleasure, who want to plunge into its waters and receive healing of body and soul.

Geographical position

If you are interested in the question of where and in which country the Jordan River is located, then look at the world map. On it you will see that it flows through the territory of 2 states: and Israel. The river is their natural border, which is conventionally indicated by a rope stretched in the center with yellow floats.

Tourists located on opposite sides of the border are not recommended to communicate with each other, and crossing the line is strictly prohibited. This is carefully monitored by armed border guards, and it should be taken into account that the area here may be mined.

For those pilgrims who are interested in where the Jordan River flows, it should be said that its mouth ends in, and it takes its source at the confluence of 3 reservoirs: Liddani (Dan), Baniasi (Hermon) and Al-Hasbani (Khatsbani Snir ), flowing along the slopes of Mount Hermon. The total length of the river is 251 km.

What is the Jordan River famous for?

If you have read the Bible, you know that miracles have happened here many times:

the river parted for Joshua, who led the Israelites on their journey;
The prophets Elisha and Elijah crossed it on dry ground;
healings of sick pilgrims often took place there.

According to legend, the baptism of Jesus Christ took place in the Jordan River. At this time, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended to people, taking the form of a dove and thus witnessing the messianic mission of the Savior.

Sights of the Jordan River

In 1996, archaeological excavations were carried out in Jordan, as a result of which they discovered on the right bank of the Jordan River. Before this discovery, scientists believed that this event occurred on the side of Israel. The historical site is located in the Bethany Valley, in the village of Wadi al-Harar. It looks very simple and is now a wooden platform with a small ladder.

By the way, in their research, archaeologists used a mosaic map created in Palestine and dating back to the 6th century. She was found in, in Madaba. Today we are reminded of this event by the base of a square Greek column and the steps that lead to the water. It was these objects that were mentioned in the records of Byzantine pilgrims.

Tourists who want to take unique photos of the Jordan River should visit the ruins of Byzantine temples and a huge font that resembles a swimming pool. They are located on the coast, not far from the baptism site.

Description of the attraction

The Jordan River has a strong current that carries silt and erodes clay, so the water here is brown and cloudy. If you put it in a bottle and let it sit for a while, the impurities will settle and the liquid will become clear.

The pool area is 18 thousand square meters. km, and water consumption is 16 cubic meters. m. per second The depth of the Jordan River is small, in the center it does not exceed 1.5 m. In its appearance, the reservoir rather resembles a wide stream. From the Jordanian side, it is almost completely accessible to tourists.

There are 20 species of fish in the Jordan River. The most famous of them is named after St. Peter. It was once prepared for the Savior, and today it is served in local restaurants.

Features of the visit

During the trip to the Jordan River, anyone can perform ablution. To do this, you will need to change into a special white long-skirted shirt (it is better to wear a swimsuit or shorts with a T-shirt underneath). You need to plunge into the water completely 7 times. There is no charge for this here.

You can swim any day, but it is worth considering that a huge number of people come here on Easter and Epiphany. If you believe in the healing power of the Jordan River, then don't forget to bring bottles with you. In its sacred properties, the water is identical to that sold in the church.

How to get there?

From the river you can drive along Jordan Valley Hwy/Road No. 65 or Damascus Hwy. These routes contain private roads with limited traffic. The distance is 165 km.

Flickr.com, grandpamony

Christians all over the world treat the Jordan as a sacred river, because Jesus Christ was baptized in its waters. But where this very place is located for certain became known only at the end of the 20th century.

Bethara beyond the Jordan

The Gospel of John indicates the address of the place where John the Baptist preached and baptized - not far from the village of Bethavara beyond the Jordan. But where exactly is this village located? The fact is that in Palestine at that time there were several villages with the same name.

For a long time it was believed that Bethawara was located in Israel, near the town of Qasr El Yahud, which is 4 kilometers from the place where the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea.

A mosaic on the floor in the Church of St. George in the city of Madaba helped determine its true location. The mosaic image, measuring 15 x 6 meters, dating back to the 6th century AD, is an excellently preserved accurate map of the Holy Land, indicating all Christian shrines.

The map indicated that the place of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River was not in Israel, but on the opposite bank of the river in the town of Wadi el-Harar (in the territory of modern Jordan).

In addition, in the place where the Baptism ceremony took place 2000 years ago, there is no water at the moment. Over such a huge period of time, the river changed its course as it flowed into the Dead Sea and now flows several tens of meters closer to Israel.

In support of this version, in Wadi el-Harar, in a dry place in 1996, archaeologists discovered the ruins of three Byzantine churches and a marble slab, on which, supposedly, stood a column with a cross, installed during early Christianity at the site of the Baptism of Jesus Christ. It is this column that is often mentioned in written sources of pilgrims of the Byzantine era who visited the Holy Places.

After heated debate, scientists around the world and leaders of leading Christian denominations came to the conclusion that Wadi el-Harar is the site of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan River.

Thus, in the spring of 2000, the visit of Pope John Paul II to these places ended with the official recognition by the Vatican of the fact that Wadi el-Harar is the greatest Christian Shrine.

The Russian Orthodox Church, in recognition of this fact, took part in the construction of an Orthodox church in honor of John the Baptist on the territory of Wadi el-Harar. It is believed that the temple is based on the very place where Jesus Christ left his clothes before plunging into the waters of the biblical river.

The discovery of this greatest object for the entire Christian world was made possible as a result of the peace agreement signed between Israel and Jordan in October 1994.

Yardenit in Israel

Many pilgrims who visit Israel every year would like to be able to take a dip or even be baptized in the waters of the Jordan River.

But the Jordan River, along almost its entire length from Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) to the Dead Sea, represents a natural border between the two states of Israel and Jordan. The border, it must be said, is not always peaceful, and therefore the approaches to the river from both one side and the other are under close surveillance by the military.

For this purpose, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism has identified a special place, which is a quiet backwater near the source of the Jordan River from Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). In 1981, a special complex for pilgrims, called Yardenit, was built on this site.

According to the Gospel of Mark, at the moment of baptism in the waters of the Jordan River, the holy spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove: “And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came out of the water, John immediately saw the heavens opening and the Spirit like a dove descending on Him. And a voice came from heaven: You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”. (Mark 1:9-11) It is these words, written on the memorial wall in all languages of the world, that greet pilgrims who come here.

The complex is equipped with walking paths, convenient approaches to the water, locker rooms, and showers. In the shops located on the territory of the complex, you can buy or rent pilgrim shirts, buy bottles for Jordanian water, and various souvenirs and cosmetic products from the land of Israel.

At a local restaurant you will definitely be offered to try the tilapia fish, popular among tourists, which is called “St. Peter’s fish” here.

The history of the origin of this name refers us to the Gospel of Matthew, according to which in those ancient times every Jew over 20 years old had to pay an annual tax of 2 drachmas for the maintenance of the Temple. But Jesus did not have money, and then he asked Peter to go to the sea, cast a fishing rod and pay the tax with the coin that he found in the mouth of the first fish he caught. It is believed that this fish was tilapia. Behind the gills of the fish you can still see two dark spots, supposedly marks from the fingers of the Apostle himself.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of Christian pilgrims from all over the globe visit the Yardenit complex in Israel. Entire busloads of pilgrims led by priests often arrive to perform the rite of Baptism here.

Very often, pilgrims who have already been baptized before have a question: “Is it possible to undergo the rite of baptism again, but this time in the waters of the Jordan River?” The fact is that baptism is a special ritual that occurs only once in the life of a Christian believer. The only exception can be a transition from one denomination to another - in this case, it makes sense to consult with the clergy of one or another denomination.

Pilgrims perform ritual ablutions in the waters of the Jordan River to heal the soul and body. Dressed in white clothes, the pilgrims say the words of prayer, after which they plunge three times into the waters of the Jordan in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Location: Southern tip of Lake Kinneret, highway 90. From the highway to Yardenit 0.5 km.

How to get there: Regular buses from Jerusalem No. 961, 963, 964; by buses from the northern cities of the country moving along highway No. 90.

Opening hours:

Monday - Thursday: 08:00 - 18:00,
Friday and holiday eves: 08:00 - 17:00

Free admission. To maintain a godly atmosphere, all visitors are required to have white baptismal robes, which can be purchased ($24) or rented ($10).

The lower reaches represent the natural border between Israel and Jordan.

Jordan is mentioned many times in the Bible. According to the Old Testament, Joshua led the Jewish people on dry land between the miraculously parted waters of the Jordan, thereby ending the Jews' forty-year wandering in the desert. Later, according to the Gospel, Jesus Christ was baptized in the waters of the river.

origin of name

Until now, scientists have not formed a consensus on the origin of the name of the Jordan River.

Various etymologies from Semitic languages are proposed: “ditch”, “to make noise”, etc. In accordance with the most common point of view, the Hebrew name of the river “Yarden” comes from the word “yered” (“descends”, “falls”) and source names Dan.

Hydrography

The length of the Jordan is 252 km. The basin area is about 18,000 km². The average slope is 1.85 m/km, on the section from the Sea of Galilee - 17.6 m/km. The river is not navigable.

The Jordan originates 14 km north of Lake Hula, near Kibbutz Sde Nehemiah. Its source is the confluence of three rivers - (or Khatsbani), (or Hermon) and, flowing from the slopes of Mount Hermon. Then the river flows in a direction from north to south until it reaches its mouth.

Downstream of Sde-Nehemiah, the Jordan divides into two channels, which after a few kilometers connect again. The canals were dug between 1950 and 1958. as part of the Hula Valley drainage project. From the place of their junction there is a canal to the Bnot Yaakov bridge (Hebrew: bridge of the daughters of Jacob).

From here the Jordan flows in its natural channel, laid along the bottom of a basalt gorge, until it flows into the Sea of Galilee. In Hebrew, this section of the river is called Yarden Ha-Harari (literally - Mountain Jordan). Here the river has the greatest slope - 17.6 m/km. There are several rapids along the gorge, which attracts water tourists.

After leaving the gorge, the Jordan flows into the Sea of Galilee - Israel's largest natural reservoir. The area of the lake is 167 km², the volume is about 4 billion m³. The water of the Sea of Galilee is brackish due to the large number of mineral springs along its shores, however, it is suitable for drinking.

In the north, a pipe of the All-Israel water pipeline is immersed in the Sea of Galilee - through it, water from the lake flows to the densely populated central and waterless southern parts of the country.

The Sea of Galilee is the lowest-lying freshwater lake in the world (213 m below sea level).

Elisha miraculously healed Naaman by ordering him to wash himself in the river (.5:8-14), and in addition made the ax of one of the “sons of the prophets” float by throwing a piece of wood into the water (.6:1-7). The prophets Elijah crossed on dry ground (

Jordan in the New Testament

According to the New Testament, Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.

In contact with

The lower reaches represent a natural border between Israel and Jordan. One of the main waterways of the region. Length - 252 km.

Once upon a time, tropical forests were green in the Jordan Valley, and hippopotamuses lived in the coastal thickets of papyrus. Now there is nothing left of its former plant splendor, except that evergreen sycamore sycamore trees rise here and there, brightening up the deserted appearance of the Jordan Plain.

The Jordan River is mentioned many times in the Bible. According to the Old Testament, Joshua led the Jewish people on dry land between the miraculously parted waters of the Jordan, thereby ending the Jews' forty-year wandering in the desert. Later, according to the Gospel, Jesus Christ was baptized in the waters of the river.

Christians treat the Jordan as a sacred river; Since the Byzantine era, there has been a widespread belief that the water of the Jordan heals diseases.

Hydrography

The length of the Jordan is 252 km. The basin area is about 18,000 km². The average slope is 1.85 m/km, in the area from Lake Hula to the Sea of Galilee - 17.6 m/km. The river is not navigable.

The Jordan originates 14 km north of Lake Hula. Its source is the confluence of three rivers - El Hasbani (Khatsbani, Snir), Baniasi (Hermon) and Liddani (Dan), flowing from the slopes of Mount Hermon and accounting for 77% of the waters of the Jordan basin. Then the river flows in a direction from north to south until it reaches its mouth.

Jean Housen, CC BY-SA 3.0

Downstream of Sde-Nehemiah, the Jordan divides into two channels, which after a few kilometers connect again. The canals were dug between 1950 and 1958 as part of a project to drain the Hula Lake valley. From their junction there is a canal to the Bridge of Jacob's Daughters. From here the Jordan flows in its natural channel, passing along the bottom of a basalt gorge, before flowing into the Sea of Galilee.

In Hebrew, this section of the river is called Yarden Haharari (literally, “Mountain Jordan”). Here the river has the greatest slope - 17.6 m/km. There are several rapids along the gorge, which attracts water tourists.

After leaving the gorge, the Jordan flows into the Sea of Galilee - Israel's largest natural reservoir. The area of the lake is 167 km², the volume is about 4 billion m³.

The Jordan Valley, together with the Arava Valley, is part of the Syrian-African tectonic fault, which stretches from Syria to East Africa. Here the river bed becomes very winding, and the banks become high, in some places sheer. The width of the river reaches 40 meters.

In winter, during high water, the river washes away its banks, and this sometimes leads to landslides that create serious obstacles to the watercourse. In this section, several rivers flow into the Jordan, the largest of which are the Yarmouk and (left tributaries) and Harod (right tributary).

About 100 km south of the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan flows into, which is one of the most saline lakes in the world. The Dead Sea coast is the lowest part of the earth's surface (420 m below sea level, and continues to decline).

Due to the high salt content, fish and most other fish cannot live in the lake. This fact gave the lake its name.

Tributaries

Rivers whose confluence forms the Jordan:

El-Hasbani (Khatsbani, Snir) - flows down from the Lebanese part of Mount Hermon. Attempts by the Lebanese government to block the river to use a significant part of its waters for economic purposes have more than once led to friction in Lebanese-Israeli relations.

left

Baniasi (Hermon, Banias) merges with Liddani (Dan), after which the watercourse receives a small river on the right - Koruni.

The largest tributaries in the area between the Kinneret and the Dead Sea:

Yarmouk - separates Jordan from Syria and the Golan Heights.
Seil ez-Zarqa (Yabbok)
Harod

Power of the Jordan and its tributaries

Average annual flow at the mouth of the Jordan River and its largest tributaries:

A significant part of the waters of these rivers is used by Israel and Jordan for economic purposes, which is why their current annual flow is less than natural. For example, for Jordan this figure should be 1.2-1.3 billion m³ per year.

Photo gallery

Helpful information

Jordan River
Arab. نهر الأردن‎‎
translit nahr al-urdun
Hebrew נָהָר הַיַרְדֵּן‎,
translit. nahar ha-yarden;

origin of name

Until now, scientists have not formed a consensus on the origin of the name of the river.

Some researchers (for example, V.V. Ivanov) make assumptions about the Indo-European origin of the name of the river. It could have been preserved from the Indo-Iranians or, rather, the “peoples of the sea” (in particular, the Philistines), who were here at one time. Supporters of this version in the second part of the hydronym highlight the Indo-European root *danu (“moisture, water, river”), which is present, for example, in the name of the Danube River (Latin Danubius).

D. S. Merezhkovsky believed that “... the name of Jordan himself was brought to Palestine from Fr. Crete, where the Kidon tribe, as we learn from Homer (Odyssey III.292), lived near the bright streams of the Yardan.”

Mentions in the Bible

In the Old Testament

The Jordan is mentioned many times in the Old Testament as a place where various events took place, including miraculous ones. Jordan was the border of the Promised Land.

The first miracle occurred when the Israelites with the Ark of the Covenant crossed the Jordan on dry ground under the leadership of Joshua, opposite Jericho (Joshua 3:15-17).

Later, the two and a half tribes of Israel, who settled east of the Jordan, built a large altar on its banks as a “witness” between them and the other tribes (Joshua 22:10-34).

The prophets Elijah (2 Kings 2:8) and Elisha (2 Kings 2:14) crossed the Jordan on dry ground.

Elisha miraculously healed Naaman by ordering him to wash himself in the river (2 Kings 5:8-14), and in addition, he made the ax of one of the “sons of the prophets” float by throwing a piece of wood into the water (2 Kings 6:1- 7).

In the New Testament

According to the New Testament, Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist.

Jordan is a sacred river, the place of Jesus' baptism.

The source of the Jordan is located on Mount Hermon. The river flows into Lake Kinneret, from where it flows into the Dead Sea.

According to legend, the handsome Jordan really liked the beautiful Kinneret. But God forbade them to meet, and placed a basalt rock on the way by the river. Jordan turned out to be very stubborn. He began to chisel the rock and succeeded, falling into the lake. Then God became angry and caused the Jordan to fall out of the Kinneret and direct its waters to the Dead Sea.
The difference in altitude contributed to the smooth descent of the Jordan River into the sea - the name of the river is translated as “falling”.

The place where the Jordan flows out of the lake is called Jordanit (Yardenit).

Here, on the western bank, there is a traditional place of Christian baptism, and pilgrims and tourists plunge into the river here. Changing rooms are equipped on the shore, turnstiles are installed along the shore

There is a huge souvenir shop on site. Here you can buy or rent special clothes for the swimming pool. Here you can also buy all kinds of seasonings - they are produced by the neighboring kibbutz.