In international news headlines, the name 'West Bank' appears at such alarming frequency that one could be forgiven for thinking that the Jordan is a huge and mighty river, much like the legendary Euphrates and Tigris. In fact, this could not have been further away from the truth.
The small muddy stream in the photo above is the internationally renown Jordan River. To the left of the muddy pool of water is the notorious West Bank, currently occupied by Israel. To the right of the river is the East Bank, which lies within Jordan. Hence this small stream also serves as de facto international border between the two states.
It was dry season when I visited the Baptism Site. I was not impressed at all at the first sight. The more I look at it, the more I come to realise that a large part of the Middle East conflict is about nothing but ideology.
The Baptism site is a fairly new attraction. In the past, access to the East Bank was forbidden as the it is located within a military zone. It was not until recently that restrictions have become somewhat relaxed. Although still inside the military zone, nowadays it is relatively hassel free to visit the area, provided that all tourists must pay up a 7 JD entrance fee to the Baptism Site Commission, join their official guided tour and have their passport within them at all times. The vehicle which takes tourists from the car park to the entrance to the Jordan River would pass through a military checkpoint surrounded by sandbags and barbed wires, with soldiers armed with machines guns looking down from behind the observation posts.
Upon special arrangements with the Jordanian authorities, all major Christian denominations have set up their own place of worship within the boundary of the East Bank. During Easter or other major religious festivals, mass would be celebrated inside the East Bank.
For years, the site of Jesus's Baptism had been a matter of dispute. It was not until recently that the remains of a church located on the eastern bank of the Jordan River had been discovered by archaelogists. The church seems to fit the description of Jesus's Baptism in the Bible.
If this is indeed the site of Baptism, the pit at the bottom of the excavation site would probably have been the spot where John the Baptist dipped Jesus into the water.
Following the discovery, pilgrims from all over the world flock to the East Bank in order to have themselves baptised in the holy flow of the Jordan River.
Barely 3m away is the State of Israel. Hence the Jordan River also serves as the de facto boundary between Israel and Jordan. I am relieved to see there are no electrified barbed wire fences standing in the middle of the river .... one river, two countries, many different systems .... Onlookers might find this whole thing absolutely absurd, but this is one of the most closely monitored borders in the world.
Although there is no tradition of baptism in Judaism, the Israelis also built a huge baptism complex directly across the Jordanian site, equipped with security fences, watch towers etc.
The Jordanian warned us not to wander off the signposted tracks, as certain sections of the West Bank are mined, and sometimes land mines are washed off by the rain into the river and ended up somewhere on the East Bank.
The yellow warning signs near the fence indicated the presence of land mines.
A group of pilgrims performing individual baptism ceremony in the river.
Or you can try to dip your toes or your hands into the Holy Water and see if that will have any enlighting effects on you....
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