The Baptism Site
In this place, past, present and future are interwoven. Here God
and man meet in the journey of redemption. The Old and the New Testaments meet, bound
together in this redemptive line. Thus, all of time is a single reality, without
division, a reality of spirit and faith, which becomes more firmly rooted in the
hearts of believers as time passes.
The area of the baptism site is a holy place
which has a mysterious “life” of its own, as if it were a haven of the Spirit. Here
the Spirit continuously bestows that life and revives those who believe in Christ.
The prophetic periods succeeded uninterrupted, one after another, and generated a
tangible history beyond symbols. When the Messiah arose, the shadows of the ancient
symbols disappeared. What remained was the reality of God and the reality of revelation
in the path of redemption.
Upon Mount Nebo God revealed Himself to Moses, as He had
previously revealed Himself at Sinai, and Moses stood and looked over the Promised
Land stretched out in front of him. He was allowed to enjoy the vision of this land
before he encountered, through death, the celestial promised land. He saw the Jordan
River before him, descending from the heights of Mount Hermon into the depths of
the Jordan valley. The river would give life to the surrounding trees and vegetation
and quench the thirst of men and creatures while it awaited the events that would
occur along its banks in the path of redemption.
After Moses passed away, Joshua,
the son of Nun, crossed with the Israelites into the Promised Land, and this crossing
was a symbol of Christ’s crossing, with all of humanity, from death to life—crossing
from the slavery of sin to the freedom of being sons of God.
But soon after their
entrance into the Holy Land the people turned from the worship of God and took to
worshipping strange gods. God sent to them many prophets to bring them back to true
belief in His oneness and observance of His commandments. One of the most famous
of these prophets was Elijah, who lived during the time of the rule of King Ahab
in Israel. Ahab and his wife oppressed Elijah, and when Elijah grew old, God inspired
him to leave and settle in what is today Jordan. So he left with his appointed successor,
Elisha, who carried on his spirit and message. When they arrived at the River Jordan,
Elijah struck it with his cloak and parted the waters of the river. He and Elisha
crossed the dry land, and as they were speaking together upon the other side of the
river, a fiery chariot came and carried Elijah into the heavens.
Time passed and
the Babylonian armies crossed the river heading toward Jerusalem. They besieged and
occupied the city. The Babylonian army transferred the people of the city to Babylon,
but after some seventy years, the captives were allowed to return to Jerusalem to
rebuild it and worship the one God therein.
Again, hundreds of years passed and John
the Baptist appeared at Bethany (Bayt ‘Anya) on the far side of the Jordan River.
He continued the path of faith and took the message from Moses – representative of
the Holy Law – and from Elijah – representative of the prophets of the Old Testament.
John was the last prophet in the manner of the Old Testament prophets and the first
prophet of the New Testament. He called the people to repent in preparation for the
arrival of Christ, the Redeemer, and began to baptize in the Jordan River and the
surrounding springs. The baptism he administered was a symbol of repentance and belief
in God. Fleeing the authorities because of his sermons, he made for Bethany. He would
sleep and rest in a cave close to the springs of the Valley of Kharrar (what is today
known as “Sapsaphas”) and the cave of Elijah. The Bible states that here people from
Jerusalem, Judea and the surrounding regions of the Jordan flocked to John for baptism.
Around this time, Jesus left Nazareth, went to Bisan and crossed the Jordan River
to the east bank. He slept his first night near Bela (the region of Fahl), then continued
his journey on the eastern side of the Jordan valley until he reached Bethany and
went to John for baptism. Jesus joined in the line of penitents asking for baptism,
yet he was pure, free from all sin. He was the one who would say to the Jews, “Who
among you can provide evidence that I have committed a sin.” John knew of Jesus from
the revelation and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. John, however, objected to baptizing
Jesus saying, “I am the one that needs you to baptize me!” But upon Jesus’ continued
insistence, John acquiesced and baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. Therefore, the
water of the Jordan became holy and all the waters that flow along the baptism site
were purified, reviving the souls of people at every place and time and saving them
from the slavery of sin.
As Jesus was coming out of the water, he saw the heavens
open up and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove. He heard a voice from above say,
“You are My beloved...with whom I am well-pleased.” Then the Spirit took Jesus into
the wilderness where he remained for forty days, and where Satan tempted him. In
the wilderness Jesus dwelt among the wild beasts, but the angels looked after him.
Then the Jews in Jerusalem sent some of the Scribes and Pharisees to question John,
and John said to them, “I am not the Messiah, I am only a voice crying out in the
wilderness saying, ‘Follow the path of God and make firm His path.’”
After Jesus
came back from the wilderness to Bethany he found John sitting with two of his students.
When John saw Jesus he said to his students, “This is the Lamb of God who will take
away the sin of the world.” Hearing this, the two students decided to follow Jesus
and were in turn followed by three others, among them Peter.
Jesus carried the torch
of faith from John the Baptist, the torch that had also been carried by Moses, Elijah
and the other prophets. From Bethany Jesus declared the good news of God, saying,
“The Hour draws near and the Kingdom of God is at hand! So, repent and have faith
in the good news of God!”
Jesus loved his stay across the Jordan at Bethany. He had
beautiful memories of his time there and made many friends. After returning to Jerusalem,
a dispute developed between Jesus and the Jews during the festival of the renovation
of the Temple. When this happened Jesus fled back across the Jordan to Bethany where
John was still baptizing. Jesus was received warmly by the people and many came from
the surrounding towns and villages, from Salt, Amman, Madaba and Hisban. They brought
their sick to him. He cured them, and many people came to believe in him.
From Bethany
Jesus returned to Jerusalem only to have to flee again, this time to Ephraim (al-Tayyibah)
near Ramallah. Later he returned to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and the events of his
passion, death and resurrection would follow.
God has granted to the land of Jordan
many special places. The north of the country can boast of the homeland of the Prophet
Elijah, and in the northern and central regions they take pride in the fact that
Christ performed many miracles there and preached in their towns. The south is also
very proud that John the Baptist was martyred in Makawer Castle, which is south of
Madaba. In the Jordan River Jesus was baptized by the hand of John and there he met
five of his disciples, including Peter. From here he set out preaching about the
Kingdom of God, beginning the public part of his life.
The Christians are descendants
of this land and the inheritors of faith in Christ. They treasure the heritage of
the Prophets and the mysteries of the Incarnation and the Redemption. They related
these things to the generations of Christians who came after them and who hailed
from far away lands. All of these places—the site of the celestial ascension of the
prophet Elijah, the Jordan River, Bethany, etc.—are places for spiritual contemplation
and worship, and the faithful make pilgrimages to these amazing sites, where they
encounter the Spirit and receive blessings from the earth and the water of this land.
Some pilgrims have written accounts of their journeys to these places and some of
these accounts have been preserved to this day. In the second Christian century,
Melton who was the Archbishop of Serdees, said, “I traveled to the Orient. I saw
the places mentioned in the Bible, and everything became full of spiritual meaning.”
In the third century, these holy places became of interest from a scholarly perspective.
The most important teacher of the time, Origen, came to Palestine for the purpose
of studying and tracing the steps of Christ and the Prophets. In his writings, he
mentioned Bethany across the Jordan, but he believed that it was the same as Bayt
‘Abara (The Place of Crossing) where John was baptized. In fact, Bethany and Bayt
‘Abara are different sites, each one having its own importance. Bayt ‘Abara is on
the Jordan River, but Bethany, according to what we can see of it on the 6th century
mosaic map in Madaba, is in the Valley of Kharrar.
At the end of the third century
and the beginning of the fourth, the famous Church historian Eusebius mentioned certain
Gospel sites in his geographic dictionary, Onomasticon. He mentioned that many of
the brothers in Christ, who were desirous of rebirth, were baptized in the Jordan
or submerged in the flow of the living river in imitation of Christ who was baptized
in this same place.
An anonymous pilgrim, who arrived from Bordeaux in 333, and another
pilgrim named Tudius in 530 (as well as others) described the baptism site of Jesus,
indicating that the place where Christ was baptized was five miles from the Dead
Sea. They also mentioned the small hill that lies to the East of the river as being
near the site of the baptism, as well as being the place from which Elijah ascended
to Heaven. Tudius also described the church of Bethany, which was built on platforms
during the reign of the Emperor Anastasius (d. 518) to prevent any damage that might
be caused by the flooding of the river. Recent archeological excavations have uncovered
remains of this church on the eastern bank of the river. All the pilgrims mention
the pole implanted in the middle of the river bearing the sign of the Cross (as an
indication of where Christ’s baptism took place). Another pilgrim from Piacenza wrote
in 570 that the site of Jesus’ baptism was opposite the monastery of Saint John,
and the Madaba map mentions ‘Ayn Anun (Aenon) and Sapsaphas, the poplar tree.
The
Egyptian Saint Mary also journeyed to this holy place. She dwelled there, penitent
and worshipping in silence, seeking peace with God and with her own soul.
From ancient
times, visiting these holy sites and obtaining the sacrament of baptism in the River
Jordan has been a sign of worship, prayer, and the renewal and strengthening of the
vows of faith. These rituals remain a sacred tradition, and on the feast day of the
Baptism, as part of the celebration, the Holy Cross is submerged in the waters of
the river.
We can conclude from the testimonies of the pilgrims and their writings
that there is a distinction between the various events that took place on the banks
of the river and those that took place in the region of the Valley of Kharrar. Today,
upon the banks of the river, a memorial stands to commemorate the baptism of Christ
and also the Israelite’s crossing to the Promised Land. Near the spring of the Kharrar
valley is the cave of John the Baptist. A church and monastery were built to preserve
the memory of Bethany, where John baptized his followers and where Jesus went to
meet him. Here, monks live lives of piety and reverence, abstaining from the world,
and praising and glorifying God.
The ancient realities of faith are always present
and always new. The Christians, as the are the inheritors of faith, preserve the
ancient traditions, making pilgrimage to the Baptismal site each year to commemorate
Christ’s baptism, John the Baptist, the sacred site of Bethany and the Prophet Elijah.
In March of 2000, John Paul II, the successor of the apostle Peter, became the first
pope to make a pilgrimage to this very site, where Christ first met Peter. He blessed
the people there with water drawn from the river, water that is sacred for every
Christian. At the end of his prayer, as he bid farewell to the Jordanian people,
he said, “I will remember the people of Jordan in my prayers, Christians and Muslims
together, and especially the sick and the aged. I beseech God to bless his majesty,
the King of Jordan, and all the people. God bless you all, and God bless Jordan.”
Archaeology
· The Bethany Sapsaphas
· Elijah's Hill
· Rhotorios Monastery
· Northern Church ·
Western Church
· Prayer Hall
· Water System
· The Pools · Laura ( Hermit Cells)
·
Church of the Arch (John Paul II)
· The Pilgrim’s Station
· Ancient Pool · John the
Baptist Spring
· Cave Cells
· Site of Saint Mary the Egyptian
· John the Baptist
Church
-----------------------------
The Bethany Sapsaphas
The 7th-century writer John Moschus narrates the story of one
monk’s personal experience in the monastic caves (Laura) of the area. On his pilgrimage
to Sinai by way of Alia (Aqaba) in south Jordan, a monk from the monastery of Saint
Eustorgius in Jerusalem crossed the Jordan River, was struck by a violent fever,
and had to take refuge in a cave at Bethany beyond the Jordan. Three days later,
Saint John the Baptist appeared to him in a dream and tried to dissuade him from
continuing his pilgrimage. John told the monk: "This little cave is greater than
Mount Sinai. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself has come in here to pay me a visit". Convinced
and recovered from his illness the monk transformed the cave into a church for the
hermits living in the area. "It is the place which is called the Laura of Saphsaphas
near the Jordan", concludes John Moschus.
There are several other legends about the
caves and hermits living in the area. One was told by the Pilgrim of Piacenza around
570 AD: "On the bank of the Jordan River there is a cave with cells for seven virgins.
They have people outside to look after them. The virgins are taken there when they
are very young. When one of them dies, she is buried in her cell, and another cell
is carved from the rock so that another girl can be replaced to keep the number of
virgins always seven. With great reverence, we entered the caves to pray there, but
we did not see the face of a single one of them. It is said that the cloth, which
the Lord wore on his face, is kept in this place. On both banks of the Jordan below
the mountains there are serpents from which people make antidotes against poisoning".
Elijah's Hill
Wadi al-Kharrar is the modern name for the site of “Safsafas”, which
is depicted on the 6th century mosaic map of the Holy Land in Madaba. The site lies
east of the Jordan River, just west of the village of Al-Kafrayn and within sight
of the famous town of Jericho west of the river.
At the beginning of Wadi al-Kharrar,
near the monastic complex, or "Laura", Christian pilgrims have traditionally been
shown a hill (known as Jebel Mar Elias in Arabic) where the Prophet Elijah ascended
into heaven. Here, you can see a sanctuary that attracted pilgrims well into the
medieval period.
The Russian pilgrim Abbot Daniel was impressed by the place and
in 1106 he wrote: "Not far away from the river, at a distance of two arrow throws,
is the place where the Prophet Elijah was taken into Heaven in a chariot of fire.
There is also the grotto of Saint John the Baptist. A beautiful strong fast stream
(torrential rain) full of water flows over the stones towards the Jordan; the water
is very cold and has a very good taste; it is the water that John drank while he
lived in the holy grotto".
The memory of the place was not by the writer Theodosius
either, who wrote around 530 AD: "Where my Lord was baptized there is, on the far
side of the Jordan, the 'little hill' called Hermon, where Saint Elijah was taken
up".
Similarly, the Pilgrim from Piacenza wrote around 570 AD: "This is the place
where…Elijah was taken up (to heaven). In that place is the 'little hill of Hermon'
mentioned in the Psalm. At the foot of the mountain at seven o'clock in the morning,
a cloud forms over the river, arriving over Jerusalem at sunrise, above the basilica
on Zion, the basilica at Christ's Tomb and basilica of Saint Mary and Saint Sophia
(once the Praetorium where Christ's case was heard). Above these places the dew comes
down like showers, and sick people collect it. In the hospices all the dishes are
cooked in it, and in the places where this dew falls many diseases are cured. For
this is the dew of which the Psalmist signs, 'it is as if the dew of Hermon were
falling on Mount Zion' (Psalm 133.3)".
Rhotorios Monastery
Here you can see the Byzantine Monastery (5th - 6th centuries
AD) with several churches and other buildings, all within a surrounding wall. The
entrance in the northern wall leads to the living quarters of the monks. The complex
had a fine water system.
Northern Church
The Northern Church has two sections: a chancel screen (just in front
of the altar) and a nave (the central part of the church). It has two entrances,
in the northern and western walls. A distinguishing feature of the church is a complete
Greek inscription set in a mosaic floor. It reads: "By the help of the grace of Christ
our God the whole monastery was constructed in the time of Rhotorios, the most God-beloved
Presbyter and Abbot. May God the Saviour give him mercy".
The floor was covered by
a coloured mosaic with a frame and cross marks depicted with geometrical designs.
Western Church
The Western Church consisted of two parts. In the first part, a semi-circular
apse was cut into the natural rock under the northwestern pool. The apse included
lamp niches carved from its southern and western walls. Foundation remains of the
door of the chancel screen in front of the apse can still be seen. The second part
of the church consisted of four column bases built of well-dressed, square-cut sandstone
blocks, creating a nave and two aisles. Broken pieces of pottery indicate a Byzantine
date.
Prayer Hall
This presumed Prayer Hall is the earliest worship facility at the
site, perhaps dating from before the 4th century AD. A rectangular structure built
of undressed fieldstones; it is located near the south eastern corner of Tell al-Kharrar.
A plain white mosaic pavement covered the floor, and the ceiling was probably wooden.
The manner of construction and location suggest that the structure functioned as
a prayer hall or chapel in the very early Byzantine period.
Water System
A well, a
cistern and settling basins were located between the prayer hall and the nearby small
chapel. The cistern was dug out of the natural lisan marl rock; it is the largest
reservoir discovered at the site, built during the 5th – 6th centuries AD. Well-cut
sandstone ashlars were used to build its inner sides, while a thick layer of lime
was added and covered by a smooth layer of plaster to prevent any seepage. Apparently
the pool was roofed by a vault system.
A canal feeds a cylindrical well, located near
the northwestern corner of the cistern dating from the Byzantine period.
The Pools
Three
pools can be seen on the Tell. The first one is located on the lower southern slope,
dating to the Late Roman period during the 3rd-4th centuries AD. The other two pools
are located on the top of the northern edge of Tell al-Kharrar. Rectangular in shape,
the southern pool had an inner staircase on the eastern side, and four steps extending
the full width of the pool can be seen. Pilgrims would descend into the pool to be
baptized.
Two square pools also date from the same Roman period. Ashlars were added
near the southwestern corner of the northwestern pool in later periods, possibly
to form a staircase to go down into the pool. The pools receive their water supply
through aqueducts.
Excavations under the damaged floor of the pool revealed a well dating
from the Early Roman to Late Byzantine periods. Circular on top, it is built of well-cut
sandstone ashlars.
Laura (Hermit Cells)
Not far from Tell al-Kharrar, at a distance
of 300m to the west on the southern edge of Wadi al-Kharrar, some architectural remains
were discovered. They consist of a small structure with foundations built from local
fieldstones and upper courses built from mud bricks. Wooden beams were fixed to roof
the structure that evidently was used by monks as living and prayer quarters, and
for offering necessary services to the pilgrims visiting the site. Such facilities
formed a Laura, or a monastery comprised of many individual hermit monks’ cells in
a defined area.
Church of the Arch (John Paul II)
A rectangular church (or chapel)
is located on the saddle of land south of the main site, connecting it with the surrounding
plain. It was built during the 5th–6th centuries AD, and was used by incoming pilgrims
for prayer and worship. It had a mosaic floor with cross decorations and arches supporting
the roof, of which one has been reconstructed. This church was named after His Holiness
Pope John Paul II to commemorate his visit and blessing of the site on 20th March
2000.
The Pilgrim’s Station
From the 4th century onwards, Christian pilgrims visited
the region east of the Jordan River, which includes Saphsaphas (al-Kharrar), Wadi
Gharabah, and Livias (Tell al-Rameh), on their way to Mount Nebo. Most pilgrims visited
the Jordan River on their way from Jerusalem to Jericho. Others crossed eastwards,
visiting and describing the remains along Wadi al-Kharrar.
A pilgrim’s station was
built during the Byzantine period (5th–6th centuries AD) between the Jordan River
and Tell al-Kharrar. This caravanserai for pilgrims visiting the area had a number
of rooms around an open courtyard, which were served by an adjacent water pool.
Two
Roman roads were built during the era of Emperor Hadrian. Around 129 AD, a road was
built to connect Hesban with Livias (Tell al-Rameh), Jericho, and Jerusalem. Hadrian
possibly used this road when he returned from Petra.
Ancient Pool
A large pool was
uncovered during the excavation in the lower area of Bethany beyond the Jordan flanking
the Jordan River, called the Zor area. This large stone-built and plastered pool
measures over 20 x 10 metres, and is believed to have been used for group baptisms
in the Byzantine period, since it could accommodate 300 persons. A well-built canal
directed water into the pool from a nearby spring to the north, and carried water
out of the pool’s southern wall. Material recovered from the pool dates the structure
to the Byzantine period, during the 5th-6th centuries AD.
John the Baptist Spring
Travellers
and historians described this spring as flowing from a point near Tell Mar Elias
and reaching the area near John the Baptist’s Church. Pilgrims said the water of
this spring was used for drinking and for baptism. Several structures and pools were
built along the route of the fresh water. Ancient writers referred to the site as
Aenon.
Cave Cells
Two monks’ caves (cells) were discovered dug into the upper layers
of the cliffs on the eastern side of the Jordan River. These types of caves are found
in monasteries in “the wilderness”, near the banks of the Jordan River. The monks
used these caves as places of pious devotion, as dwellings, and for prayer. Prayer
niches were carved into the eastern walls of the two caves, perhaps as an indication
of the caves being converted into a church (place of worship).
Site of Saint Mary
the Egyptian
The most famous legend regarding the area of Wadi al-Kharrar is about
the life of Saint Mary the Egyptian who chose to live a disreputable life in Alexandria
in her youth. She abandoned her life of sin during a visit to Jerusalem and went
on to become a model of repentance. After consulting the Virgin Mary in Jerusalem,
she had heard a voice telling her: “Cross the Jordan and you will find rest”. She
crossed to the east bank of the Jordan River, and spent the last 47 years of her
life living alone, praying and fasting in the Jordanian desert where she could be
close to God. Before dying she was found by the monk Zosima from a nearby monastery,
who prayed with her, listened to her story, and gave her Holy Communion shortly before
she died. Zosima buried her, reportedly with the help of a lion that helped him dig
her grave with its paws.
John the Baptist Church
At the Jordan River, modern explorers
discovered the ruins of a Byzantine monastery with a church built at the time of
the Emperor Anastasius (491-518 AD). The site on the east bank of the river commemorating
John the Baptist’s ministry and his baptism of Jesus. This church was considered
the most notable memorial church of St. John the Baptist on the east bank of the
Jordan River. It is located at the traditional site where the baptism of Jesus is
said to have taken place, and more particularly where Jesus is said to have left
his clothes during his baptism.
Excavations have revealed the foundation of arches
and walls. Partly preserved mosaic and marble floors can be seen. Materials such
as pottery, coins and marble floor tiles date the site to the later Byzantine period,
between the 5th–6th centuries AD.
