wfn.org | Jordanians Give Access to Alternative Site of Jesus' Baptism

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

26-April-1999 
99165 
 
    Jordanians Give Pilgrims Access 
    to Alternative Site of Jesus' Baptism 
 
    by Ross Dunn 
    Ecumenical News International 
 
JERUSALEM-The Jordanian authorities have begun promoting a site on the 
Jordan River which they say is the place where Jesus was baptized by John 
the Baptist - as an alternative to the site traditionally visited by most 
Christian pilgrims on the opposite side of the river and controlled by 
Israel since the 1967 war. 
 
    The site of Jesus' baptism is a major attraction to Christians visiting 
the Holy Land.  Many new converts to Christianity choose to be baptized 
there.  Now the rivalry over the site between the two neighboring 
countries, which have been at peace since 1994, means that ceremonies are 
to be held on both sides of the Jordan River during the year 2000. 
 
    The official Roman Catholic celebration will be held in Jordan on Jan. 
7 at Wadi Kharrar on the eastern bank of the river.  However some Catholics 
will celebrate on the Israeli-held side. 
 
    Officials at the Jordanian Ministry of Tourism said recently that more 
than $5 million was being spent to improve roads and other infrastructure 
at their site.  Several hotels are being built to meet the expected high 
number of tourists.  The Jordanian site is at present open only to 
diplomats, journalists and guests of the government.  It will be open to 
the public beginning in December. 
 
    The development of the site is part of an effort to encourage religious 
tourism in Jordan, whose government hopes that at least two million people 
will visit next year. 
 
    One Jordanian official said Jordan's tourism potential would be 
significantly enhanced if "the site where Jesus was baptised could be 
included in the itinerary of Christian pilgrims." 
 
    Jordan's initiative has prompted Israel's tourism minister, Moshe 
Katzav, to push for tourists to have greater access to the site controlled 
by Israel, located near Jericho on the west bank of the Jordan River. 
Since Israel seized the site from Jordan in 1967, it has remained within an 
Israeli military zone.  Christian pilgrims are only allowed to visit three 
days a year, one for  Protestants, one for Roman Catholics, and the third 
for Greek and Syrian Orthodox Christians. 
 
    Nitsan Ilan, spokeswoman for the Israeli Tourism Ministry, told ENI 
"the question of opening the site all year round in preparation for the 
year 2000 celebrations is currently under consideration by the IDF [Israel 
Defense Force], but there is no decision yet." 
 
    Katzav recently expressed concern that Israel might lose Christian 
pilgrims to Jordan because of the limited access to the Israeli site. 
 
    But Father Jerome Murphy-O'Connor, a Roman Catholic and expert on 
archaeological sites in the Holy Land, is sceptical.  "Its always been 
convenient for people coming from Christian areas [in Israel, particularly 
Jerusalem], to baptize on this [Israeli] side," he told ENI.  "But the 
Israelis have not been concerned about losing tourists by keeping it shut 
for the last 30 years. 
 
    "What the Jordanians want to do is to have free civilian access right 
to the river on their side, which is going to embarrass severely the 
Israelis on this side." 
 
    Father Murphy-O'Connor said most experts believed that Jesus did enter 
the Jordan River from the east bank in what is now Jordan.  However, this 
had not been an issue before now. 
 
    "Jesus crossed the Jordan to the place where John the Baptist first 
baptized," he said, adding that this was based on the reference in Chapter 
10 of John's Gospel.  "But there were was no real concern.  It was the 
River Jordan that was important, not which bank." 
 
    Following the baptism, O'Connor said, both Jesus and John the Baptist 
crossed over to the west bank - now controlled by Israel -- before going 
their separate ways. 
 
    Wadi Abu Nasser, a spokesman for the Latin (Catholic) Patriarchate of 
Jerusalem, told ENI that most Catholics favoured Jordan as the true place 
of Jesus' baptism. 
 
    But Father Eugene Nugent, first secretary at the Vatican's Apostolic 
Delegation in Jerusalem, said he was skeptical of reports from Jordan that 
the Vatican would favour one site over the other.  "It's true that in the 
Gospel of John it says that Jesus was preaching on the other side [to the 
east] of the Jordan, where John the Baptist was, so it would lead one  to 
believe that Jesus came from that side, but that is just supposition," he 
told ENI.  "But in any case Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan, this is 
the point. Of course, it is an important point of tourism and for 
commercial reasons to claim that he came from this side or that side, but 
we are not entering that debate at all." 
 
    But while talk about the competing sites might be unimportant to most 
Christians, the Jordanian authorities may soon have another point in their 
favor - they may allow those Protestants, mainly Evangelicals, who prefer 
baptism by full immersion to wade right into the river, a right denied at 
the Israeli side. 
 
    Many pilgrims to Israel have been disappointed that they are allowed 
only to fill containers while standing on the banks of the Jordan River and 
are forbidden from walking into the river.  The Israeli military 
authorities argue that the area is covered with land-mines and they are 
simply ensuring the safety of the pilgrims. 

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