A few changes at the Baptism Site

As more and more tourists come to Jordan to visit the numerous landmarks, changes need to be made, the sites need to get modernised. In today's Jordan Times there is an article about the Baptism Site. (you can read about my visit here). According to the Baptism Site Commission there has been an increase of 28% in the visits in the beginning of the year compared to last year, which brings the visitors to 73'000 from January to May.

The first change that will affect the tourists is the entrance fee: 12JD instead of 7JD. I think it is quite a jump in price and in my opinion the site commission better ameliorate the experience hugely. A little note here, this is the only site where residents don't get the same discount as Jordanians. Will it be counter productive? I don't know, the people who are visiting this site do it probably only once and because of religious reasons. Having said that, I think that Jordan is starting to realise the moneys that can be made from tourism, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see this happening for more tourist locations - after all it is already the case at Petra as well.

One of the things that is being introduced is audio devices, these will be distributed to the visitors. They will be available in several languages: French, English, Italian, Spanish, German and Russian. This is clearly a good thing: when I visited there was only one guide, explaining the site in English and I honestly didn't get to follow any of it: can you imagine me with Bibs in the arms, trying to take pictures and running after a guide I can't really hear anyways? And I wasn't the only one in this situation. So that is definitely a huge improvement.

Apart from that I don't know what is planned - there is a clear lack of a coffee shop, restrooms on site. Maybe they think about a hostel for pilgrims? When we visited I was a bit disappointed that I didn't get to see   many of the discovered churches, baptism pools and caves which can be found on site, I certainly hope that visitors will have easier access to that and the accessibility improved. Finally as you exit the site there is a small area with some souvenir shops, this can also use a lifting.

They just need to make sure that the value for money is there...

"These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan"...

..."where John was Baptising". (John 1:28).

Last week we visited the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ. "Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him" (Matthew 3:13).

Located about 45min from Amman and just 9km from the Dead Sea is the recognised Baptism site, also known as Al Maghtas in Arabic. It is considered to be one of the 3 holliest Christian sites in the world (the 2 others being the Nativity Church in Bethlehem and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem). I must say that as Christian I found it very special, to think that I walked on the same soil as Jesus, and to see where He got baptised.

As we arrive, we leave the car and pay the 7JD to get access to a shuttle which then takes us for a 10 minute drive down to the site. And as usual, as I come home and start writting my blog I discover that we didn't see everything! I think it is some kind of Jordanian idea of a joke... or maybe it's their way to make sure you are coming back!

This is the map of the site

On the map there is the road the shuttle takes to get to the site. All you see in the right hand corner is what we didn't see as the shuttle doesn't stop there! I will have to ask next time we go there with Bobs - he was working the day I went with my parents and Bibs of course!

And hop in the shuttle and off we go...

On the way to the Site (this is where there are some things we missed...)

View of River Jordan & the Orthodox Church

To get to the different places we are walking on these paths

This is the place where Jesus was baptised by St John

The first building on the right is what remains of a small chapel. The other building shelters the remains of the Basilica as well as 2 other churches which were build from the 5th century.

Remains of the Basilica

This painting represents the baptism of Jesus Christ: "As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him". (Matthew 3:16)

We then continued our walk towards the River Jordan. It is the border with Israel.

It is actually possible to get baptised at the site. You just need to take a priest with you! For the moment there is only a Greek Orthodox church on the site, but several other churches are being built.

Some more pictures...