The lure of Jordan water

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Thursday/Friday was the Feast of Epiphany (Theophany) for the Orthodox Christians in Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan.
Hundreds of pilgrims and their Patriarchs and clergy came in procession to Kasr al Yahud to worship and celebrate the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, perhaps at this very spot on the River Jordan.

When my Jewish group from Meitar visited there a few weeks ago, this sweet little Russian boy was the only one touching the waters of the holy Jordan.
The wooden steps on the other side are already in the Kingdom of Jordan, across the border.

See my previous posts for more about this baptism site.

UPDATE! There are now videos and photos of the day's events at the Baptismal Site - Qasr al Yahud Facebook page!

(Linking to Weekend Reflections.)
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Soldiers with ponytails

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As our town's touring group was leaving the Jordan River baptism site, these two soldiers asked if they could ask our guide (on the right) a question.
I think it was something about the big Christian significance of the Kasr al Yahud site.
Sorry I couldn't hang around and listen but I had to hurry and get some photos before 4 pm closing time.

These soldiers on guard there at the Jordanian border (the river is the border there) belong to the IDF's Nahal Brigade.
You can tell by the color of their beret, "glow stick green."

Such nice girls!

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(Linking to Our World Tuesday.)
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At Kasr al-Yahud River Jordan baptism site

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For the Latin church (the Roman Catholics) today is the feast day called the Baptism of the Lord.
Hundreds walk in procession down to the Kasr al Yahud baptism site on this day.
I was there on a much quieter day, just a few weeks ago.

Our bus passed the minus 300 meters sign and continued to descend even lower to the Jordan Valley, a bit north of the Dead Sea (the lowest spot on earth).

Flags greeted us at the entrance.
The Israeli flag and that of Nature & National Parks Protection Agency, and also of the Judea and Samaria Civil Administration (because it is in the West Bank, east of Jericho).

You had better pay attention to the rules.
Don't even THINK of wading across the river.

The other side is already the Kingdom of Jordan.

The border runs down the middle of the River Jordan and that is why the sign says, Do not pass, in Hebrew, English, and Russian. 

A new Greek Orthodox church has been built on the other side and we could see the Jordanian flag waving in the breeze of late afternoon.

Many Christians step into the water for a renewal of their baptism.
Some new Christians get the total immersion with the help of their priest or pastor.

The river is very shallow now after 4-5 years of drought.
In the rainy stormy weekend we just had, the level of the Jordan rose by 35 centimeters.
It's not likely you will need this red lifesaver, but it hangs on the tree just in case.
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(This blog has five posts about Kasr al Yahud baptism site, if you'd like to see more.)
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UPDATE Jan. 10: The Franciscans today published their short video of Sunday's pilgrimage to the baptism site:
http://www.terrasanctablog.org/2018/01/10/faithful-on-a-pilgrimage-to-the-jordan-river-for-the-celebration-of-the-baptism-of-the-lord/

UPDATE April 12, 2020:  good news! --
https://www.timesofisrael.com/just-in-time-for-easter-qasr-al-yahud-site-declared-mine-free-after-53-years/
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(Linking to signs, signs,  inSPIRED Sunday and  Our World Tuesday.)
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Feast of Theophany today, at the River Jordan

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Now is the Feast of Theophany for Coptic, Syrian, and Ethiopian Christians and for those Orthodox who follow the Old Calendar.
To quote from our Ministry of Tourism's nice Holy Land Calendar of Christian Feasts & Events

For the Eastern churches, this feast denotes Christ's baptism in the Jordan River.
Theologically, it is Jesus' first revelation as the Son of God and the revelation of the Holy Trinity.
Morning of Jan. 18 - A procession of Orthodox clergy and pilgrims goes down to the river bank [at Kasr il Yahud, east of Jericho]. ... By submerging a cross in the river, the Patriarch purifies and consecrates the water, which is then sprinkled on the crowds of faithful.

The Ethiopians celebrate the baptism at the river that afternoon.
The Syrian Orthodox Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church have the river the next morning, Jan. 19.

 I visited Kasr il Yahud on a regular day in May 2012 and chanced to see a Canadian pastor baptizing  his whole youth group.

Should you need a life preserver. . .

The gift shop on the Israeli side of the river has souvenir T shirts for you.
Click on the photo to read the Bible verses.
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To see more of the baptism site, see my posts on Kasr il Yahud.
There are some posts about John the Baptist too.
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Sr. Vassa has a 9-minute video about St. John and how "he didn't get in the way."
You will enjoy it, for sure!
Happy Theophany to Sr. Vassa and all who are celebrating now.
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What would John the Baptist say?

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Some pictures for John the Baptist on his birthday! 

Enlarge the photo above and see John baptizing Jesus in the River Jordan.

The gift shop at Kasr il Yahud, near Jericho, is full of souvenirs for pilgrims.

Sometimes I wonder how John would react if he could see the modern version of his desert  baptismal site,  complete with tourist buses,  Israeli army patrols,

refrigerated trucks bringing ice cream to the kiosk,

and groups of young North Americans being dunked by their pastor,
while being photographed and filmed,

to the accompaniment of guitars and songs.
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What do you think?
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(More blog pictures of Kasr al Yahud here.)
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Kasr al Yahud, post #3

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Here is my third successive post about the baptism site at the Jordan.
Please click once, then once again, to see any photo much enlarged.

 As we will see, there are many curious contrasts at Kasr al Yahud.
You get off your comfortable tour bus in the parking lot and maybe you will see an IDF army jeep there too.
It is a reminder that  you that you are 1) in the West Bank, 2)  just ten kilometers from Jericho which is in Area A where the Palestinian Authority has full control of security and civil administration, and 3) only a few meters across the river from Jordanian soldiers in watchtowers.

But no worries.  Just a few steps and you are greeted by this mannequin in the gift shop.

He is modeling the garment in which you might like to be baptized or to immerse in the Jordan.

Plenty of T shirts for sale too, like with  Holy Spirit doves, Israeli flags, and "I was baptized in the Jordan River."

Bring your white gown to the "Clothing cell."
This one is for "Woman's [sic]."

(Hey, this could be good for the Signs, Signs meme.)
I wonder how the translation fared in the other languages: Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, Greek.
But the sign shows you the wide diversity of pilgrims who come to Kasr il Yahud. 

Hey, are those shower heads on top?

It was kind of surreal for me to watch people walking around in these gowns, and under the flag of the Jewish State too.
If a Christian dies and is buried in this Jordan-dipped gown, now become shroud, it guarantees eternal life.
At least that is the Christian belief that our group's  Israeli Jewish guide told about.
I have never heard this from a Christian source.  Have you?

Follow the arrow to the "Water entry point."
The new structures you see are meant to provide shade and shelter  for groups that come to have Mass or Divine Liturgy there.

Finally we get down to the river's edge.
At this point it is 380 meters below sea level.
Can you see the Jordanian flag flying just across the narrow river?
There are churches and monasteries on the other side too. 

As we were leaving Kasr al Yahud, I saw three men unloading an ice cream truck in the sweltering heat.
Talk about contrasts!   Ice cream in the desert!
Imagine how things could have turned out different if John the Baptist, Jesus, Joshua, and Elijah had come up from the Jordan and found such luxury . . . .
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More Kasr al Yahud on the Jordan

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Let's continue (from yesterday's post) looking at Kasr al Yahud.
Once you get down to the baptism site, it looks like an oasis.

But first you have to get there, and  all around  is desert.
Follow the signs, leave the main Jordan Valley road and head east.

Soon you see the army patrol road, a sure sign that you are nearing the border (which is the Jordan River).

Be very alert to the many "DANGER - MINES" signs.
Don't even think of leaving the paved road.

The badlands were indeed bad in the 1970s, with many terrorists coming through.
That is why the IDF laid the mines back then.

In the past few years Israel has been working hard and investing millions in order to make this Christian holy site on the River Jordan safe and comfortable for the thousands of pilgrims who want to immerse in the river.
It was just recently dedicated and is now open seven days a week.

Tomorrow I'll show you the lighter side of the site.
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(The blue desert skies of May are for SkyWatch Friday.)
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UPDATE June 2019:  See stunning photos and video of the Romanian church at
https://www.timesofisrael.com/stunning-romanian-church-is-final-monastery-cleared-of-mines-at-qasr-al-yahud/
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At holy water's edge

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The subject of City Daily Photo group's Theme Day today is "At water's edge."
I am happy to show you very special (some say holy) water--the River Jordan!

My photos are from the Israeli side; the other edge of the narrow river is already in the Kingdom of Jordan.
This place is called in Arabic Qasr al Yahud.
It is just east of Jericho.

The old traditions say that here John the Baptist baptized Jesus, that Joshua led the Israelites across the river into the Promised Land, and that the Prophet Elijah ascended into heaven.

I watched a Canadian group witnessing as to what had brought them to faith and to this holy place.
One by one they descended the stairs and their minister blessed them and dunked them.
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You can enlarge the photos; click and then click again on what opens.  It will make the little river look bigger, maybe.
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More information on Kasr al Yahud in this article.
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To see the other baptism site called Yardenit, favored by Protestants, where the Jordan flows out of the Sea of Galilee, please see these posts.
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To visit other bloggers posting their water's edge, go to the nice new City Daily Photo website.
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