 Important new
information about the area of Bethany beyond the
Jordan -- where John the Baptist preached and
baptized during the early days of his ministry --
has recently been revealed following
archaeological surveys and excavations along the
length of Wadi Al-Kharrar since 1996.
Combined evidence
from the biblical text, Byzantine and medieval
writers' accounts, and most recent archaeological
works, place the tradition of John the Baptist's
mission, including the baptism of Jesus, adjacent
to -- and directly east of -- the Jordan River, in
the land of the modern Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan.
John 1:28 speaks of:
Bethany beyond the Jordan the place where John
baptized; the expression "beyond  the
Jordan" referring to the east bank of the river.
In a later reference to the same place on the east
bank, John 10:40 says that Jesus travelled across
the Jordan to the place where John first baptized:
"And He went again beyond the Jordan, into that
place where John was first baptizing and there He
abode". Mathew 3:13 states that Jesus came from
Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John,
while Mark 1:9 says Jesus came from Nazareth in
Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
The recent excavations in
Jordan in 1997 uncovered a series of ancient sites
associated with the tradition of John the Baptist
and the baptism of Jesus, located along the length
of the Wadi Al-Kharrar, east of the river. At the
site of Tell Al-Kharrar, identified as Bethany
beyond the Jordan, a Byzantine monastery was
discovered. The site is located nearly two
kilometres (1.2 miles) east of the Jordan River,
at the start of the Wadi Al-Kharrar. Several
natural springs form pools that start the flow of
water through the Wadi Al-Kharrar, eventually
feeding into the Jordan River. An idyllic oasis
dominates the start of Wadi Al-Kharrar and the
site of Tell Al-Kharrar.
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