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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"...this sweet little Russian boy was the only one touching the waters of the holy Jordan."
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One wonders what the boy was thinking.
ReplyDeleteWhere are his parents? He's awfully close to that water.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry Kay, the parents were nearby. I confess, I cropped out the father on the right side to make the picture more dramatic.
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