As the Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, attention turns once again to Bethany Beyond the Jordan—known today as Al-Maghtas—the site revered by Christians as the place where Jesus Christ was baptized by St. John the Baptist.
According to Vatican News, the Gospel of John clearly situates this moment of salvation history “beyond the Jordan,” noting that “This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing” (Jn 1:28), and that Jesus later returned to “the place where John at first baptized” (Jn 10:40). Early Christian writers were careful to distinguish this Bethany from the village near Jerusalem, emphasizing its unique location east of the Jordan River.
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Church Fathers such as Origen and St. John Chrysostom identified the baptismal site with the name Bethabara, a designation that appears in ancient Gospel manuscripts, the sixth-century Madaba Map, and even the Talmud. In Arabic, the modern name Al-Maghtas means “baptism” or “immersion,” preserving the memory of the sacred act that inaugurated Christ’s public ministry.
Archaeological discoveries at Al-Maghtas have provided striking confirmation of this long-held Christian tradition. According to Vatican News, excavations have uncovered remains of churches, chapels, hermits’ caves, mosaics, marble floors, and a large cross-shaped baptistery clustered around the riverbank. These findings reflect centuries of Christian devotion, even during periods when public worship was restricted.
One of the earliest monumental structures at the site was a church dedicated to St. John the Baptist, built during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I in the late fifth or early sixth century. Although destroyed and rebuilt multiple times due to floods and earthquakes, its memory survives in historical accounts. A pilgrim known as Theodosius wrote around the year 530: “Five miles north of the Dead Sea, at the place where the Lord was baptized, there stands a solitary column, on which an iron cross is fixed; there is also the church of Saint John the Baptist, built by Emperor Anastasius.”
Nearby stood the Basilica of the Holy Trinity, named in honor of the manifestation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism. Archaeological evidence indicates the basilica once measured at least 27 meters in length, underscoring the importance of the site to early Christian worship.
Excavations have also revealed Tell al-Kharrar, known as Elijah’s Hill, traditionally associated with the prophet Elijah. According to Vatican News, a monastery honoring Elijah was constructed there during the Byzantine period, further establishing the area as a center of biblical memory and monastic life.
The enduring spiritual significance of Bethany Beyond the Jordan was formally recognized in 2015, when UNESCO added the site to its World Heritage List. The organization described it as being “of immense religious significance to the majority of denominations of Christian faith,” noting that generations of monks, hermits, pilgrims, and priests lived and worshipped there between the fourth and fifteenth centuries, according to UNESCO’s official statement cited by Vatican News.
In modern times, the site has become a destination of papal pilgrimage. St. John Paul II visited Al-Maghtas during the Jubilee Year 2000, Pope Benedict XVI returned in 2009 and inaugurated construction of a new church, and Pope Francis prayed there in 2014 while meeting refugees, sick children, and people with disabilities who had found shelter in Jordan, according to Vatican News.
The most recent milestone came in January 2025 with the consecration of the Church of the Baptism of the Lord, now the largest Catholic church in Jordan. Representing Pope Francis, Cardinal Pietro Parolin presided over the ceremony. The surrounding area now includes churches of multiple Christian denominations, standing together at the place where Christ entered the waters and revealed His mission to the world.
As Catholics celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, Bethany Beyond the Jordan remains a living testimony to the moment when salvation history was made manifest—where the voice of the Father was heard, the Spirit descended like a dove, and Christ sanctified the waters for all humanity.
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