Jordan - Dead Sea Kingdom Baptism Place of Jesus

Full of biblical treasures and steeped in ancient history

Jun 8, 2007

Known as the Hashemite Kingdom, Jordan offers the old and the new with modern cities and historic sites. Jerash is one of the largest and best Roman sites in the world.

This small country is where Lot sought refuge from the fire and brimstone of the Lord. It was here that Moses looked out over the Promised Land and where John the Baptist was beheaded after Salome’s fateful dance. Traveling around Jordan is like a reality trip through the Bible.

The capital, Amman, is a good base from which to visit many of the historic sites and to get a good overview of the countryside. Ancient history is still in evidence here. The dominant site of the city is the hill, Jebel al-Qala. Here is the Temple of Hercules and a short walk away is the impressive Forum.

Jordan - Um Qais

Leaving the capital, it is an easy two and a half hour drive north to Um Qais, formerly the Roman city of Gadara, which is the site of the miracle of the Gadarene swine, where Jesus sent demented spirits out of a man into a herd of swine who ran down the hill and drowned in the Sea of Galilee.

There’s a delightful museum here; a peaceful place of ancient tombs and carvings with a small garden set in a central courtyard. A view through one of the gate ways shows Mount Carmel in the distance, the hill where the Transfiguration is said to have taken place. The ruins of Gadara are widespread and imposing and include a small, deserted village of 17th-century houses.

On the way back to Amman try to stop at Jerash. This is one of the largest and best preserved Roman sites in the world and possibly the closest to what ancient Rome was really like. It has long colonnaded streets, impressive temples, market-places and Byzantine churches. This was a rich city, its people were used to the luxuries of life, and it existed almost without interruption for one thousand years.

One of the most important things that brings people to this part of the country is the Baptism Site of Jesus at Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan. En route is Lot’s cave where Abraham’s nephew sought refuge from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is where John the Baptist lived and where it is believed he baptized Jesus. A lifelike figure composed of jagged rock is said to be Lot’s wife, who was turned into a pillar of salt for ‘looking back’. At this quiet spot, the Bible tells us, the spirit of God descended like a dove upon Jesus and a voice from heaven said “this is my son, whom I love: with him I am well pleased”.

You can’t come to Jordan without visiting the Dead Sea. It is quite an experience to lie in the water (“on” the water would be more appropriate as it is impossible to sink below the surface because of the high density of salt). There are mud holes along the shore from which you scoop up the mud and plaster it over yourself, then wash it off in the sea. It is said to cure all manner of skin complaints.

To visit Petra you will travel south on the five thousand-year-old King’s Highway. The narrow asphalt road runs like a long grey snake though vast areas of dry rock-strewn mountains and past isolated houses with brightly colored washing hanging outside.

Petra is wonderful, exhilarating, strange, and overall one of the most magnificent ancient sites in the world, but that will have to be another story.

The copyright of the article Jordan - Dead Sea Kingdom Baptism Place of Jesus in Historical Travel is owned by Cathy Smith. Permission to republish Jordan - Dead Sea Kingdom Baptism Place of Jesus in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.