Bethany Beyond the Jordan

Bethany Beyond the Jordan, on the east bank of the Jordan River near where it meets the Dead Sea, is revered by many Christians as the place where John the Baptist preached and where Jesus was baptised, and it is a World Heritage Site. Long inaccessible, the area was excavated in recent decades to reveal the remains of churches, chapels, baptismal pools and pilgrim lodgings built here from the Byzantine period onward, spread through the tamarisk scrub along the river's ancient course. A visit, made on a shuttle with a guide, follows a path among these ruins to the old baptism site and down to the present, much-shrunken river itself, where the Jordan is now so narrow that the far bank, in the West Bank, is only metres away, and pilgrims come to the water's edge. It is a place of quiet significance rather than grand monuments, moving for its associations and its long history of faith.

What you actually see

• The baptism site - the excavated pools and churches at the traditional place of baptism.
• The Byzantine church remains - the ruins of chapels and pilgrim buildings in the scrub.
• The river's edge - the walk down to the narrow Jordan itself.
• The pilgrim history - the long record of worship revealed by the excavations.

When to go

October to April is the comfortable season; the Jordan valley here is one of the hottest places in the country in summer, and being below sea level it is warm even in winter. Mornings are cooler for walking the site. Religious feast days bring pilgrims and a different atmosphere.

Honest expectations

The ruins are modest, so this is a place valued for its religious meaning and history rather than for spectacular architecture, and visitors without that interest may find it low-key. Access is only via a site shuttle and guide, not free wandering, and the valley heat is intense outside winter. The river itself is now a narrow, muddy channel, a surprise to those expecting a mighty waterway. Dress and behave respectfully at what is an active place of pilgrimage.

Nearby

The Dead Sea resorts are close along the valley; Mount Nebo and Madaba are up on the plateau.