Day two of slowing down but not stopping! The highlight for today is going to Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan, often simply referred to as the Baptism Site.

Entry to the site includes a one hour tour. The ticket area has toilet facilities and a brief history of the region. A guide leads visitors on a short walk to the waiting tour bus and a 10 minute ride ensues. There is a security checkpoint and the degree of the check varies depending on who is working and who is guiding. No need for concern but understand that you may be momentarily stopped on your way to/from the site. The bus drops visitors off at a central gathering point and the rest of the journey is on foot. There are several beautiful mosaic murals along the walk and the guide stops to share the history or story behind some of them.

Religious beliefs aside, this unassuming pile of ruins is where archaeologists say John the Baptist preached, Jesus was baptized, and the early foundations of Christianity were formed. This is perhaps the single most biblical site in Jordan and can only be accessed within Jordanian borders. The site was linked to John the Baptist and Jesus after much debate and consulting biblical descriptions and pilgrimage accounts. 

The Jordan River can be accessed from Jordan as well as Israel and the Palestinian Territories and there is a large access point for the Jordan River on the Israeli side. Though the river once naturally flowed through this site, humans have diverted the river’s flow in more modern times. The excavation of the site is also a modern undertaking and only began in the mid-1990s after a peace treaty with Israel. Remains of churches, caves, wells, and baptism pools were discovered as landmines were cleared.

After approximately 15 minutes of walking, the path passes a gorgeous gold-domed Greek Orthodox church with a breathtakingly beautiful and vibrant interior.

A wooden platform flanked by Jordanian flags marks the only civilian access to the Jordan River. The river is shallow and the access point is relatively small. This is by far the most heavily guarded and policed area I have seen and I understand why. Across the river is another platform with access to the river, the complex of Qasr Al Yahud in Israel. A distance of approximately 3 meters in the center of the river, between the floating buoys and heavy military presence, lies a no-man’s land. This is the water separating Jordan from Israel and the Palestinian Territories. This is the invisible separation of holy lands which have been contested for millennia; lands of great importance to three of the world’s  most prevalent religions. Travelers on both sides of the river gather for reflection, to complete their religious pilgrimage, or to be baptized. Kneeling on the wooden platform, it is a surreal experience to dip your hand into the cool water of the Jordan River. There is a large bowl of Holy Water if you prefer not to dip your hand in the river, or, you can do both.

The guide keeps everyone on schedule and it is soon time to return to the bus. Another 15 minute walk leads back to the gathering point, board the bus, and make the return journey to the ticket area.

Today is another lite activity day so my friend and I drive back to Amman and work on laundry and packing for the next few days. We go for dinner at an American-style barbecue restaurant called Pit Master. The food is good and the company is better. We round out the evening with birthday cake and a few episodes of The Big Bang Theory before turning in for the night.