River Jordan

This blog is a continuation of the recent entry on the Tour of Israel in late May to early June 2014 (Read here). 

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Literally, any place mentioned in the Bible can be a potential pilgrimage site. The chances will be higher if a location has historical connection to Jesus ministry when God became man and walked on earth.

The Old Testament has numerous references about River Jordan. A prominent incident is found in Joshua 3:11, "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan".

Countless of faithful come to River Jordan annually either from the side of Jordan or the side of Israel to visit the Baptismal site or to have a dip in River Jordan. They are here to remember the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist before his earthly ministry. Some come to have baptism at River Jordan.

At the time of our visit to the traditional Baptismal Site on the side of Israel in late May 2014, the river water looked murky and muddy and likely polluted as well. Yet it didn't deter pilgrims from having the baptism in River Jordan and submerging their whole bodies into the water. The water at the Baptismal site did not look deep. Many stood on the river bed and the water level reached only to the waist level.

To some Christians, River Jordan is sacred just like River Ganges is to the Hindu. No amount of persuasion will stop them from taking that step of faith and plunging into River Jordan. They came from different corners of the world to follow the footstep of Jesus Christ. 

The territorial boundary is demarcated by a net in the middle of the river.

The river bank of the Jordanian territory is barely ten meters away. Yet this narrow waterway has some heart wrenching stories to tell (Read this). It's a story best described as "It's so near yet so far!".

A Palestinian woman who lives in the West Bank of Israelite territory has family members in Jordan. She has not been able to visit Jordan because she has not been issued any travel document by the Israelite government. Whenever she wanted to see her family members, she would come to the river bank, looked across the river and waved at her loved ones on the opposite bank. In June 2021, she was finally issued ID card and she could then travel to Jordan to be reunited with her family for the first time after 24 years!