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Traditional Site

Bethany Beyond the Jordan

BETH-uh-nee bee-YOND the JOR-dun · Modern Al-Maghtas, Balqa Governorate, Jordan · Also called Bethabara · 31.8372° N, 35.5503° E

An archaeological site on the eastern bank of the Jordan River, traditionally identified as "Bethany beyond the Jordan" (John 1:28) where John the Baptist carried out his ministry and baptized Jesus — distinct from the general Jordan River entry, this is the specific excavated site with Byzantine churches.

Archaeology

Excavation beginning in the 1990s uncovered a 5th-century Byzantine monastery, the Church of St. John the Baptist built under Emperor Anastasius I, and baptismal pools fed by ceramic pipes from a nearby spring. UNESCO inscribed the site in 2015, citing strong early Christian tradition — though, as with all Gospel sites, there is no archaeological proof Jesus was baptized at this exact spot, only that it was venerated as such since at least the Byzantine period.

Pilgrims being baptized at Al-Maghtas (Bethany Beyond the Jordan), the traditional baptism site of Jesus
Pilgrims being baptized at Al-Maghtas (Bethany Beyond the Jordan), the traditional baptism site of Jesus — source & licence
The Baptism Site of Jesus Christ on the Jordan River, Al-Maghtas, Jordan
The Baptism Site of Jesus Christ on the Jordan River, Al-Maghtas, Jordan — source & licence

On a modern map

Bethany Beyond the Jordan today

Further reading

Reflect

Crowds walked far into the wilderness to hear John at this river crossing — how far out of your routine will you go for renewal?

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