Jordan Prepares To Mark 2,000th Anniversary of Jesus’ Baptism
JERUSALEM — The Vatican, together with civil and religious leaders in Jordan, recently began preparations to celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus’s baptism in al-Maghtas, also called Bethany Beyond the Jordan, in 2030.
While the Gospels — Matthew, Mark and Luke — are unclear about when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, marking the start of his public ministry, it undoubtedly followed John the Baptist’s earlier revelation that it occurred in “the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar.”
Historians posit that the emperor’s reign began either in 11 CE, when Tiberius became co-regent, or in 14 CE, when his predecessor, Augustus, died. Add 15 years to either date, plus the indeterminate period before John baptized his second cousin, and Jesus’ ritual immersion probably took place around 30 CE.
Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan convened the inaugural session of the National Committee for the Preparation of the Celebration of the Second Millennium of the Baptism of Jesus Christ in Amman in August. The committee, which includes ministers, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox religious and community leaders, and representatives of relevant institutions, was established to support an initiative put forward by the Council of Church Leaders in Jordan and its monarch, King Abdullah II.
Hassan said commemorating 2,000 years since the baptism reflects Jordan’s historical and religious standing and its role as a global destination for Christian pilgrimage, while highlighting the kingdom’s message of coexistence, respect for others, peace, love and human fraternity.
Crown Prince Al Hussein Ibn Abdullah II visited Bethany Beyond the Jordan on Sept. 14 to examine preparations for the 2,000th anniversary celebrations. He was accompanied by Prince Ghazi Ibn Muhammad, his chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy, and chairman of the Baptism Site Commission’s board of trustees.
Tourism in Jordan has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the three-year-long war in the Gaza Strip. Hassan called the pilgrimage celebration an opportunity to reinforce the kingdom’s position as a land of religious heritage and a global destination for Christian pilgrims.
Hassan’s commission reviewed plans by the Foundation for the Development of Lands Adjacent to the Baptism Site, including an integrated village for Christian pilgrims and visitors, a museum dedicated to the Baptism of Jesus, and infrastructure upgrades at the site.
While the NCPCSMBJC has ambitious plans, the area has undergone significant change in recent years. Archaeological excavations have uncovered the remains of churches, chapels, hermits’ caves and a baptistery, all tied to Jesus’ baptism. In 2015, the area was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Three popes have made pilgrimages there: John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis.
Bethany Beyond the Jordan is not to be confused with the village of Bethany on the Mount of Olives, in the eastern suburbs of Jerusalem. Church Fathers Origen (185–254 CE) and John Chrysostom (347–407 CE) both noted that local Christians called the site Bethabara — a corruption of the Hebrew Beit Ha’arava. This name appears on the sixth-century Madaba mosaic map. With the Arab conquest of the region in 634, the site of Jesus’ baptism became known as al-Maghtas, meaning “baptism” or “immersion” in Arabic.)
The oldest archaeological evidence uncovered at the site is the late fifth-century church built by the Byzantine emperor Anastasius I Dicorus. One pilgrim at the time, known as Theodosius (around the year 530), wrote about the church: “Five miles north of the Dead Sea, at the place where the Lord was baptized, there stands a solitary column, on which an iron cross is fixed; there is also the church of Saint John the Baptist, built by Emperor Anastasius. The church is very high, built over large chambers because of the flooding of the River Jordan.”
Destroyed by floods and earthquakes, the structure was repeatedly rebuilt. Following a large earthquake in the Jordan Valley in 749, only ruins remained.
Alongside the remains of Anastasius’ church are the ruins of the once-impressive 27-meter-long Basilica of the Holy Trinity. The name recalls that during Jesus’ baptism, the Trinity was revealed: God the Father spoke from heaven while the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove.
Near al-Maghtas, archaeologists have excavated Tell al-Kharrar, known as Elijah’s Hill (Jabal Mar Elias), which is linked to the prophet Elijah. A monastery was erected there during the Byzantine period, likely in the fifth century.
In 2015, the area of Bethany Beyond the Jordan (al-Maghtas), including Tell al-Kharrar, was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The official website says: “‘Bethany beyond the Jordan’ is of immense religious significance to the majority of denominations of the Christian faith, who have accepted this site as the location where Jesus of Nazareth was baptized by John the Baptist. This reference encouraged generations of monks, hermits, pilgrims and priests to reside in and visit the site, and to leave behind testimonies of their devotion and religious activities, dating to between the 4th and the 15th century CE.”
Al-Maghtas is also the site where Joshua led the Children of Israel across the Jordan River some 13 centuries before Jesus. Israel maintains its own baptism site on the Jordan River’s west bank, called Qasr al-Yahud, facing its Jordanian counterpart. Though Israel and Jordan have maintained a frosty peace since 1994, pilgrims may not cross the narrow river to visit both sides.
By showcasing Jordan’s interconnected Old and New Testament heritage, from Joshua’s crossing of the Jordan River to the ministry of John the Baptist, Jordanian authorities are positioning the kingdom as what one official described as “a destination with its own religious identity, the guardian of biblical memory in the contemporary Middle East.”
Jordan recently cataloged 34 biblical and Christian holy sites across the country. The initiative by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Imad Hijazin is part of a strategic drive to establish Jordan as a major pilgrimage destination in its own right, rather than merely a transit point for visitors traveling to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Bishop Iyad Twal, Latin patriarchal vicar for Jordan and a member of the board of trustees of the Baptism Site Commission, said Jordan is an integral part of the Holy Land. He views the anniversary as an opportunity to strengthen the country’s place on the Christian pilgrimage map.
He has said that the goal is shared faith rather than competition between countries, and that tourism development should serve the spiritual experience rather than turn holy sites into mere tourist destinations. He praised Jordan’s national committee formed for the 2030 anniversary and called for cooperation among the state, church and the private sector.
Bishop Twal also proposed a single pilgrimage route linking Egypt, Jordan, Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth once circumstances allow.
Gil Zohar was born in Toronto and moved to Jerusalem in 1982. He is a journalist writing for The Jerusalem Post, Segula magazine and other publications. He’s also a professional tour guide who likes to weave together the Holy Land’s multiple narratives.