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Jordan Travel Tips
Add
the visit to the Baptism
Site in Jordan.
American visitors must have a Jordanian visa, obtainable from the Embassy
of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, 3504 International Drive NW, Washington,
DC, 20008 (tel 202-966-2664; fax 202-966-3110).
Visitors crossing from Israel to Jordan via the King Hussein (Allenby)
Bridge must already have a Jordanian visa issued by the Jordanian embassy
in their home country. It is not possible to obtain a visa at the bridge.
The King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge crossing-point is closed on Saturday
and Jewish holidays.
Visitors crossing from Israel to Jordan via the Arava (Eilat-Aqaba) crossing-point
may obtain a visa at the border. The amount of the visa fee depends upon
your nationality. The Arava crossing-point is closed on Friday, Saturday
and Jewish holidays.
El
SITIO del BAUTISMO EN EL JORDÁN:
Para los cristianos, el acontecimiento más significativo asociado
con el Río Jordán es indudablemente el bautismo de Jesucristo
por Juan el Bautista. Interesantemente, esto sucedió también
muy cerca de Beit 'Abara, donde Josué, Elias y Eliseo cruzaron
el río. En tiempos del Nuevo Testamento, llegó a conocerse
como Betania, la aldea de Juan el Bautista. Esta Betania no debe ser
confundida con la aldea de Betania cerca de Jerusalén, donde
la Biblia dice que Lázaro fue levantado de los muertos.
La
Biblia registra claramente que Jesús fue bautizado por Juan
el Bautista (Mateo 3: 13-17), y que Juan el Bautista vivió,
predicó y bautizó en la aldea de Betania, en "el
otro lado del Jordán" (Juan 1: 28). El sitio del bautismo,
conocido en árabe como al-Maghtas, está localizado en
la cabecera de un valle exuberante, justo al este del Río Jordán.
Ahora es protegido y a comienzos de 1999 serían accesibles
a visitantes. Después del bautismo de Jesús en Betania,
él pasaría cuarenta días en el desierto al este
del Río Jordán, donde él ayunó y resistiera
las tentaciones de Satanás (Marcos 1: 13, Mateo 4: 1-11).
BAPTISM
SITE IN JORDAN:
For Christians, the most significant event associated with the River
Jordan is undoubtedly the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist.
Interestingly enough, this also took place very close to Beit 'Abara,
where Joshua, Elijah and Elisha crossed the river. In New Testament
times, it became known as Bethany, the village of John the Baptist.
This Bethany is not to be confused with the village of Bethany near
Jerusalem, where the Bible says Lazarus was raised from the dead.
The Bible clearly records that Jesus was baptized by John the
Baptist (Matthew 3: 13-17), and that John the Baptist lived, preached
and baptized in the village of Bethany, on "the other side of
the Jordan" (John 1: 28). The baptism site, known in Arabic as
al-Maghtas, is located at the head of a lush valley just east of the
Jordan River. It is now protected and by early 1999 it will be accessible
to visitors. After Jesus' baptism at Bethany, he spent forty days
in the wilderness east of the River Jordan, where he fasted and resisted
the temptations of Satan (Mark 1: 13, Matthew 4: 1-11).
LOT'S
CAVE:
The Bible then says that "Lot lived among the cities of the plain
and pitched his tents near Sodom" (Genesis 13: 12). The Southern
Ghor may thus be associated with one of the most dramatic stories
in the Bible, that of Sodom and Gomorrah. While conclusive proof has
not yet been found, some scholars see Bab al-Dhra' and Numeira as
good candidates for the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah, destroyed by
God because of their wickedness (Genesis 19). The other biblical "cities
of the plain-"Admah, Zeboiim and Bela (or Zoar)-may still be
waiting to be rediscovered under the ruins of Early Bronze Age towns
as Feifa, Safi, Khneizirah, and other places throughout the biblical
Valley of Salt.
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