4/10/2023 0 Comments Jesus river bible![]() ![]() It became one of the most contested transboundary rivers in the Middle East with the creation of Israel in 1948, and, since 1967, a heavily militarized political border. The Jordan River is both a cause of conflict and tension as well as a potential source of regional cooperation. And water quality has sharply deteriorated, with raw sewage and agricultural runoff polluting the remaining water. As a result, flow has been reduced to about a tenth of its historic level. Once a meandering river full of rapids and cascades, the Jordan has been extensively developed since the 1950s, with dams, diversion canals, and large-scale irrigation projects on the river itself, its tributaries, and its headwaters. Over the past century, however, the Jordan River has been drawn deep into the Arab-Israeli conflict. Top: Pilgrims bathing in the Jordan River. For centuries, pilgrims have travelled long distances to immerse themselves in the river and even today nearly a million visitors annually flock to the three baptism sites in Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian West Bank to follow in the footsteps of Christ. Half an hour later, after a visit to the gift shop, both groups were getting back on the Israeli tourist buses, off to the next stop on their day tour of biblical sites.Īs the boundary of the Holy Land and the site of the baptism of Jesus Christ, the Jordan River is the source of all holy water in Christianity. Their mothers scolded them loudly and dragged them off to the showers. The Russian baptism ritual completed, the pilgrims emerged from the water and took photos of one another by the river, while three young boys started a water fight in a corner of the baptismal pool. “You can see that the river is quite muddy,” she said as she pointed to the timid murky flow, “but it’s actually not dirty, because there’s so many bends in the river.” Her audience nodded and one girl complained it was too hot. Meanwhile, a group of young Americans sat in the shade of some palm trees on the bank and listened to their guide, an American woman wearing a safari hat and khaki desert trousers, who explained the significance of the holy Jordan River. Three times – in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.īaptism at Qasr al Yehud, West Bank. One by one, they descended into the water, knelt in front of the priest and crossed themselves before he placed his hand on their head and immersed them in the water. The women, their heads covered, lined up on the steps, some holding young children by the hand. He emerged with closed eyes, gasping for breath. Barely five meters away on the opposite shore, two Jordanian soldiers looked on from the shelter of a reed-covered platform – no visitors had come to visit their side of the river yet that day.Īs the pilgrims sang, the priest slowly descended into the muddy water, which reached only to his thighs, so that he almost had to lie down to immerse himself fully. The priest, a tall figure with shoulder-length hair and a beard, intoned a hymn and the pilgrims joined in, bowing their heads in prayer. ĭressed in white gowns, the group of Russian pilgrims gathered silently by the steps that led into the river. Listen to the Origins podcast History Talk : The Syrian Civil War: Alawites, Women's Rights, and the Arab Spring. On the Middle East: The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Islam in Egypt The Sunni-Shi'i Divide the Alawites and Syria U.S.-Iranian Relations U.S.-Iraq Relations and Turkish Politics. On Religion: The Changing Face of Global Christianity. On Rivers and the Environment: Who Owns the Nile? The World Water Crisis The Changing Arctic Climate Change and Human Population Global Food Crisis Over-Fishing and Rome's Rivers. ![]() Francesca de Châtel travels to the banks of the most holy and contested transboundary river in the Middle East and looks at the causes of the Jordan River’s demise and what is being done to restore it. Over the last 60 years, however, the river has fallen victim to the ongoing regional conflict and been reduced to a polluted muddy stream. As the site of the baptism of Jesus Christ, the Jordan River is the source of all holy water in Christianity and has for centuries attracted pilgrims from across the world. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |