Jordan Pilgrimage Day 4 - Back to the Jordan, Staying the in Holy Land

Day 4 was a return to pilgrimage mode which took us back to the Jordan to where we began on Day One of our Footsteps of Jesus Pilgrimage two weeks earlier.

After a rough night I felt much better the next morning. Still a little fragile but well enough to eat some breakfast with no ill effects. And then we were off for our last day, heading back down to sea level, which is relatively quite high, and then on and on way down to the Jordan river. 

We soon arrived at Bethany Beyond the Jordan which according to the early church, is the traditional site of John the Baptiser’s activity and of Jesus’ baptism. A hill nearby is the traditional site of where Elijah was taken into heaven on a fiery chariot, and before that where Aaron led the people of God across the Jordan into their promised land – which was not great news for the people already living there. All of which is why John chose to be here with his message of salvation through the forgiveness of sins. This holy place was an important pilgrimage site for over a thousand years, as testified to by the ruins of several churches and monasteries. But with the fall of the Crusader kingdoms and the decline of the Byzantine church pilgrimage became too unsafe and eventually stopped. The churches and monasteries closed and for a long time this site was lost.

But the discovery of the Madaba Mosaic Map allowed archaeologists to eventually to begin to look for it again using that and references to it and other ancient records. But it was not until after the 1994 Peace Treaty between Israel and Jordan that work could begin first clearing the mine fields from this militarized zone, and then in finding the site. You can read more about all this here. Now much has been found, and new churches built, all with the support of the Jordanian royal Family. You can find out more about each of the sites here.

For most people the site of Jesus’ baptism is where we went on Day One of the Footsteps of Jesus Pilgrimage, on the “Israeli side” – which is actually annexed Palestinian land in the West Bank. And it is there so that the Christian pilgrimage trade stays in Israel. In fact, until 1968 most of the Holy Sites (Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jordan River) were in the Transjordan which is why the Israeli Government were so keen to have the Basilica of the Annunciation built in Nazareth so that there was something for those pilgrims to visit.

But back to Bethany Beyond the Jordan. As I said this is where John was stationed during his ministry. It is also on this side he was arrested, imprisoned, and beheaded. We began at the remains of the Byzantine church of St. John the Baptist where pilgrims came to 1700 years ago, when the Jordan flowed that way – spoiler alert – it has changed course since then. Below the church on where the Jordan flowed is a cruciform baptismal pool marking the traditional place Jesus was baptised, where pilgrims would descend through the marble steps and be baptized.

We then walked to the Jordanian side of the Jordan River by the new Greek Orthodox Church of John the Baptiser. Here we again read the story of Jesus’s baptism, and had an opportunity to again enter the Jordan, just metres away from where we had entered two weeks earlier.

In the Greek Orthodox Church we heard again to story of Mary the Egyptian – this is said to be where to lived as a hermit and died. Then we bussed to Elijah’s Hill where we read of Elijah and Elisha.

And just like that our time in this Holy Land was finished. At King Hussein Bridge we farewelled Michel and our driver, and despite there being very few people crossing, spent the next one and a half hours getting back across this short little bridge and into Israel. 

You can find my Facebook photos here

Back in Jerusalem we went for one last excursion into the Old City. Bonnie wanted to see the closing of Holy Sepulchre. We were an hour early, so we had time to have one last wander and to photograph sneakily. I was refused entry into the tomb because I had shorts on. I had been in there with these shorts on before, but not tonight. Hei aha. And so we farewelled this strange and holy site. I was grateful to have time to pray one last time at the cross, to walk around the tomb and to take time at some of the other holy places, and to say the Daily Obedience in the Franciscan Church.My Facebook photos are here.

The closing is not very dramatic, but symbolic of how hard it is for us Christians to work together on occasions. A Muslim family holds the keys and climbs the ladder to lock the lock each night and returns each morning to unlock it.

On the way back I caved to Bonnie’s to desire for street food. I thought it was unwise since we had both been quite unwell the day before. I just wanted a burger and chips and a beer. Jordan is a Muslim country and there was no beer to be had in the hotels. But we ate at a street vendor by Damascus Gate, and later that night I once again spent more time that I wanted on the toilet. Bonnie joined me in similar activity once we got to the airport. Not the best way to arrive in Norway.

In my journal I wrote

“And so we farewelled the old city, with all its then stresses and strains. When we arrived I was struck by how much quieter it was from when I was there in 2005. And those strains have got so much worse since then. Netanyahu is determined to imbed hatred and opposition for Jews and Palestinians for years to come. It will, I fear, become an even more a contested space.” I’ve just read a report that over 13,000 settlers have been enabled to enter Haram-al-Shariff so far this year, causing all kinds of disruption and fear. I hope one day to return. It seems less likely as the horror of the Palestinian genocide unfurls each day.

And with this my time of pilgrimage came to a quiet end. Next was Norway, which really was being a tourist and on holiday. I have no journal entries about that time. But I will keep blogging.

What an astounding 8 weeks it was. Being gently invited in pilgrimage by Rodney and his book as I travelled up North on the trains, and then as I weaved my way around Cornwall and the South. Reorienting myself to being a pilgrim and not a tourist. Spending special time with Rebekah and Janet in London and Berkhamsted. The days at High Leigh. The joys and learnings and stresses of IPTOC-JFOC – what a gift. And then these final two weeks. I need to spend some time reflecting on all this and offering some final thoughts. I’ll start that next. A kind of summary.