Bethany Beyond the Jordan

About 100 km from Amman, and just a few kilometers from the Dead Sea, archaeological discoveries have quite successfully convinced local and international authorities that this part of the Jordan River was where John the Baptist lived and quite probably where Christ was baptized. Not surprisingly, a large number of religious visitors make a pilgrimage here, some to be baptized in the rather muddy water. The river, which is also the physical border between Israel and Jordan, is well-guarded. The very minimal visitor facilities on the Jordan side of the water are pleasantly unobtrusive—the walkways are lined with wooden railings and not much more—while the Israeli side, built of sandstone, is much more imposing. Look for signs along the road from Amman to the Dead Sea.