CHRIST'S BAPTISM SITE
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Qasr el-Yahud (Arabic for Palace of the Jews) is located on the Jordan River, the natural border between Israel and Jordan, on the opposite bank. The site was opened to the public on the Israeli side in 2010.
It was on this bank of the Jordan that John the Baptist is said to have baptized Christ, although the Jordanians maintain that this took place on their own bank. According to Jewish tradition, this is also the place where the Jews arrived in the Promised Land after fleeing Egypt. The site is considered Christianity's third holiest site, after the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Access to the site is via a dusty road about 3 km long from Route 90, and after passing through a security post. Before you reach the Jordan River, you'll notice the ruins of an ancient monastery (Saint John Greek Orthodox Convent) and an abandoned cemetery on either side of the road. The atmosphere is strange, as minefields are still present all around the site, and the area is guarded on both sides by armed soldiers (Israeli and Jordanian). While a superb chapel can be seen on the Jordanian side, the Israeli side is mainly laid out with an open-air amphitheatre and ramps leading to the waters of the Jordan. Pilgrims are often baptised here. The site, managed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, welcomes around 60,000 visitors a year.
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