Discover a portal into time

The site of John the Baptist's settlement at Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where Jesus was baptized, has long been known from the Bible (John 1:28 and 10:40) and from the Byzantine and medieval texts. The site has now been identified on the east bank of the Jordan River, in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and is being systematically surveyed, excavated, restored, and prepared to receive pilgrims and visitors. Bethany Beyond the Jordan is located half an hour by car from the Jordanian capital Amman. The Bethany area sites formed part of the early Christian pilgrimage route between Jerusalem, the Jordan River, and Mount Nebo.

Mount Nebo is most known for being the site where Moses overlooked the Holy Land but did not enter it and where a church and a monastery were built to honor him. The book of Numbers (33:47) mentions that when the children of Israel moved from Almon Diblathaim they camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo, and that the children of Reuben rebuilt the city (Numbers 32:38).

This site has long been identified as the same place from which tradition says Elijah ascended to Heaven. Elijah, one of the most famous prophets sent to the people to bring them back from paganism, lived during the time of the rule of King Ahab. Ahab and his wife oppressed Elijah, and when Elijah grew old, God inspired him to leave and settle in what is today Jordan. When he and his successor Elisha arrived at the River Jordan, Elijah struck it with his cloak and parted the waters of the river.

Wadi Rum is a protected area covering 720 square kilometers of dramatic desert wilderness in the south of Jordan. Huge mountains of sandstone and granite emerge, sheer-sided, from wide sandy valleys to reach heights of 1700 meters and more. Narrow canyons and fissures cut deep into the mountains and many conceal ancient rock drawings etched by the peoples of the desert over millennia. Bedouin tribes still live among the mountains of Rum and their large goat-hair tents are a special feature of the landscape.

Located within a 50 km radius from the location of the Baptism Site, the river of Wadi Mujib is a great area for hiking and action- filled adventure. The river flows in between spiraling rock structures, giving visitors a chance to hike across a unique and engaging landscape.

One of the most interesting ways to explore Jordan is through hiking the Jordan Trail. It was established in 2016 by the Jordan Trail Association, and it boasts a 650 km2 path of wonder, with a myriad of beautiful sites to explore. The trail begins up north in Umm Qais, and stretches all the way down the Kingdom to Aqaba in the south.