Biblical Tourist Village to be Built Near Site of Jesus’ Baptism

December 20, 2022247 views0

Biblical Tourist Village to be Built Near Site of Jesus’ Baptism

2022-12-20T14:00:21+01:00

By Church News

The Jordan Government began its Christmas celebrations by unveiling a project that could attract 1 million pilgrims annually to the officially recognized site of Jesus’ baptism on the east bank of the Jordan River.An area adjacent to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, as mentioned in the New Testament, will be developed to allow Christian pilgrims and visitors to spend more quality time at the Baptism Site, as it is called, “to learn, appreciate and renew their journey of faith and spirituality.”More than 25 years ago, excavations began on the east bank of the Jordan River and uncovered the Baptism Site.The area is full of the ruins of ancient Roman and Byzantine churches and chapels, a monastery, hermit caves and baptism pools, destroyed by earthquakes and the river’s flooding.Through the centuries, the area had commemorated the site of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. Now, modern-day visitors can spend only a couple of hours there due to a lack of accommodations and services.A $300 million six-phased building project to establish a biblical tourist village located adjacent to this UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site seeks to address that, while respecting the spiritual integrity of the holy site itself. The goal is to see this possibly completed for the 2,000th anniversary of Christ’s baptism.Catholics and other Christian leaders welcomed Jordan’s plans to transform the Baptism Site into one of the world’s leading Christian pilgrimage and spiritual destinations.“For 2,000 years churches were established here as part of world heritage. Now is the time to fulfill the needs of the pilgrims who come to the Baptism Site, which until now has provided basic services,” explained Father Rifat Bader, director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Jordan. “There are also some churches in the area that have not yet been completed or consecrated.”“However, for pilgrims who wish to spend more than an hour or two at the site and would like to pray, rest, have privacy, and enjoy the experience of John the Baptist in the wilderness, this project aims to improve the lands beside the holy site,” the priest said.ALSO READ Auburn Basketball Team Baptized in Jordan River during Israel Tour