Bethabara was revered by the early Christians as the site associated with Jesus' baptism. It is located beyond the Jordan River in the modern country of Jordan. The Hebrew word, beth means house or place, while abara means to cross or ford, suggesting a place where travelers forded a river. In the gospel of Matthew it says that John the Baptist baptized "in Jordan" (3:6), the gospel of John says that he did so "beyond Jordan" (1:28; 10:40). the Apostle John may have meant the east bank of the Jordan River. At a very early date, Christians began honoring this site we visited.
The Greek Orthodox Church has recently built this new church on property close to the baptismal site as are several other Christian denominations building new churches in the area.
This is an area where possibly Jesus' baptism took place.
Today, the Jordan River is a small river compared to
what they believe it was at the time of the Savior.
We felt a very reverent and sacred feeling here.
.jpg)
