A quick note before the story: this is a claim, not a closed case. Charisma Magazine is relaying a Daily Mail report about an archaeologist’s argument, so I’m passing it along carefully. I haven’t read the underlying study myself.
The claim
- Archaeologist Waheeb of Hashemite University in Jordan argues that the “true place” of Jesus’ baptism was Bethany, on the eastern bank of the Jordan River, at a site known as Al-Maghtas.
- Excavations there between 1996 and 2002 reportedly uncovered baptismal pools, churches and prayer halls, pointing to centuries of Christian presence. He also says the site was inhabited in the first century.
- Two early pilgrims are cited. The Pilgrim of Bordeaux (A.D. 333) and Theodosius (A.D. 530) both placed the site of Christ’s baptism about five miles from where the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea. Theodosius wrote: “From the site where the Lord was baptized, to the site where the river Jordan pours into the Dead Sea, there are five miles.”
- John 1:28 says John was baptizing at “Bethany beyond Jordan,” which is a different Bethany than the one near Jerusalem.
- The study says its results are consistent with the ancient pilgrims, the Madaba map and Scripture.
How I’m treating it
As an argument worth looking at, nothing more yet. The exact spot is something people have discussed for a long time, and a report relayed through two outlets isn’t the same as the peer-reviewed paper. UNESCO does list “Baptism Site ‘Bethany Beyond the Jordan’ (Al-Maghtas)” as a World Heritage property, which is worth knowing, but that doesn’t prove this particular claim.
My take
What gets me isn’t the GPS coordinates, it’s what happened in that water. Matthew 3 says the heavens opened, the Spirit of God descended like a dove, and the Father spoke over His Son. The Spirit that came down on Jesus is the same Spirit He pours out on us. Whether this exact bend of the Jordan is the place or not, I like that Scripture’s places are real places. Read the passages, weigh the evidence and stay curious.
Have a blessed day! And Happy Hacking!
