River
Jordan River
Also called Jordan
- Ancient name
- Jordan River
- Modern location
- Al-Maghtas baptism site · Jordan
- Location
- Traditional site
Editorial summary
John baptized in the Jordan River, and Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by him.
What happened here
4John preaches in the wilderness
John the Baptizer preached in the wilderness of Judea, calling people to repent because the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. People from Jerusalem, Judea and the region around the Jordan were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. He warned the Pharisees and Sadducees and spoke of one mightier coming after him.
Matthew says John preached in the wilderness of Judea and baptized in the Jordan; neither spot is identified more closely. The wilderness marker is a representative point.
Baptism in the Jordan
Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Coming up out of the water, he saw the Spirit descending like a dove, and a voice came from heaven.
The Gospels name the Jordan River but not the exact spot. The marker shows the traditional baptism site.
John’s testimony beyond the Jordan
When priests and Levites from Jerusalem asked John who he was, he said he was not the Christ but the voice of one crying in the wilderness. The next day he saw Jesus coming and called him the Lamb of God, testifying that he had seen the Spirit descend and remain on him.
John 1:28 names Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. Its site is debated; the Jordan River marker shows Al-Maghtas, one proposed site. The next day’s testimony (1:29–34) is not separately located.
The first disciples follow Jesus
The next day John looked at Jesus and called him the Lamb of God. Two of John’s disciples heard him, followed Jesus and stayed with him that day. One of them, Andrew, brought his brother Simon to Jesus, who said he would be called Cephas, that is, Peter.
John does not name the place. The preceding verses set John the Baptist at Bethany beyond the Jordan (John 1:28), which the Jordan River marker represents.
People here
4On these journeys
Scripture
Nearby in the atlas
Location certainty
The Gospels say Jesus was baptized in the Jordan without naming a spot. The marker shows Al-Maghtas on the east bank, linked with “Bethany beyond the Jordan,” where John was baptizing (John 1:28); Qasr al-Yahud on the west bank is also a traditional site, and the identification is debated.
- Coordinates
- 31.8371° N, 35.5503° E