I really should have titled this post “The Original River Jordan”, since it is indubitably the first. But I live so close to the one in Utah…
The Jordan River! It is so much smaller than I would have imagined–about 12 feet MAX wide. Of course, most of the water is taken up before it gets to this point, just above the Dead Sea. Syria, Israel, and Jordan all need water, and when it gets to the Dead Sea it is lost to agricultural purposes. Of course, the Dead Sea is drying up because of this, which is a bad thing, because it uncovers the salt and other stuff on the bed of the lake–which then gets lofted into the air and creates all sorts of troubles. Not unlike what we are facing with the Great Salt Lake.My children, fascinated with the tadpoles in the water. River Jordan, Jesus’ baptismal place.
Our van taxi got to the site first—moving through the demilitarized zone. Of course, throughout most of Israel’s history it has been at war with Jordan, and the Jordan is the border between the two now, so this area was off limits for quite a while. Pilgrims had to go to the northern part of the Jordan—where it spills out of the Galilee—to be baptized in the same river as the Savior.
There is actual peace between Israel and Jordan just now, so this area is allowed for tourists and pilgrims. People will come from both sides of the river—Palestinian and Jordanian—to get baptized here. It was not necessarily the most appealing body of water I’ve seen, but the logic is pretty sound.
There are the ruins of a First Century Christian church (on the Jordanian side), celebrating the Lord’s baptism. This area is also super close to Qumran, and there is some belief among biblical scholars that John the Baptist was a member of the Essene sect. The site makes sense.
Once the other taxi got to the site, we gathered so Yummy could give us the report she prepared three years ago.Listening to Yummy’s discourse on the River Jordan.She was SO EXCITED to finally give her field trip report.Look! It’s Jordan, the country, on the other side of Jordan the River. The church on the other side of the river is built near the ruins of a 1st Century AD church built here–which probably means it is very close to the actual place.The Jordanian church on the other side of river–a stone’s throw away. Rock-throwing in the demilitarized zone, however, is discouraged. Touching the Jordan River.Gee and Yum, touching the River Jordan.
