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"THIS IS MY BELOVED
SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED"
MATTHEW 3
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Once a
year on January 18th, the Israeli army opens the
border gate for the Greek Orthodox led ceremony
marking the day before Epiphany, when the Holy
Spirit descended like a dove, during Jesus’ baptism
by John the Baptist. Since 1967, when Israel
conquered the west bank of the Jordan River, the
area where Jesus was actually baptized has been
off-limits to civilians, as it is smack on the
border between the State of Israel and the Hashemite
kingdom of Jordan.
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If you have been
baptized by immersion,
or renewed your
baptism vows in the Jordan, in all probability it
has been just south of where the River Jordan
emerges from the Sea of Galilee and begins its
100-mile meander down to the Dead Sea. But
according to Matthew 3, John the Baptist appeared in
the wilderness of Judea, whose northern border was
Jericho. John was then baptizing in the River
Jordan opposite Jericho. And tradition has it
that this is also the place where the Children of
Israel crossed into the Promised Land and where
Elijah the Prophet ascended to heaven in a
whirlwind, driven by a chariot of fire.During the
January 18th procession, the Greek Orthodox
Patriarch leaves his residence in Jerusalem’s Old
City and drives in a festive motorcade down the
steepest descent on earth, to the ruins of a 5th
century convent dedicated to John the Baptist, about
a mile from the river. |
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| Outside
the church, Greek Orthodox clergy wait to present
the Patriarch with an intricately embroidered
gold-threaded mantle. This represents the
mantle dropped by Elijah before he ascended to
heaven. In II Kings 2, we have a description
of his disciple, Elisha, on the east bank of the
Jordan, picking up Elijah’s mantle and swatting at
the waters, crying “Where is the Lord, the God of
Elijah?” When they see the waters part, the
brotherhood of the prophets residing in Jericho
declare, “The spirit of Elijah has come to rest upon
Elisha.” |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Greek Orthodox Patriarch wearing
the gold-embroidered mantle of authority |
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| Imagine
the scene – as one faces eastwards, standing on the
flat clay marl mud with one’s back to the oasis of
Jericho, the view of the wilderness extends for
miles and miles, with the mountains of Moab and
Mount Nebo framed as a hazy backdrop. In the
midst of all this parched earth, the moment the
Patriarch dons the mantle of authority, a pure white
dove is released and flies to the heights of heaven.
It was simple and spectacular. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Facing west, the 5th century
convent dedicated to John the Baptist |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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Facing east with the mountains of
Moab in the distance |
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| From the
ruins of the fifth century convent, it was a mile’s
hike down to the river where a few thousand pilgrims
were waiting to witness the throwing of the
Patriarch’s gold cross into the waters of the Jordan
which would sanctify and purify them, just as
baptism represents a purification of one’s sins and
a rebirth of one’s spirit. |
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Photo: Gila
Yudkin |
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By the banks of the River Jordan
in Judea, opposite Jericho |
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It was
thrilling to be by the Jordan, in the
traditional and perhaps even the authentic
spot. Although the swirling water was
very muddy, the banks of the Jordan were
shaded by tall reeds, flowering bamboo,
willow and tamarisk trees, similar to
Jeremiah’s description of the “thickets” of
the Jordan two and a half millennia ago,
when lions still roamed the land. (Jeremiah
49:19) I missed the lions, but at one
point I walked alongside a herd of seventeen
grazing camels.
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Photo:
Gila Yudkin |
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Lions no longer roam the
thickets of the Jordan, but camels do |
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A footstep
away from the water (there were no fences
which was surprising), with hundreds of
pilgrims on either side of me, it was so
easy to envision scenes of John’s ministry
and Jesus’ baptism. I even had an
apocalyptic vision of the erasure of the
border between Israel and Jordan, with
multitudes of ecstatic white-robed pilgrims
all being immersed in the muddy waters.
If you happen to lead a pilgrimage which
dovetails with January 18th, I highly
recommend taking advantage of this
once-a-year opportunity to visit the River
Jordan opposite Jericho in the wilderness of
Judea. It fully engages one’s senses,
imagination and spirit. |
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Copyright 2006 Gila Yudkin. Permission
needed for any reuse. |
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Photo:
Gila Yudkin |
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Thousands of pilgrims
celebrating the Epiphany by the River Jordan |
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Gila
Yudkin, who calls herself a
Connecticut Yankee living now in King
David’s court, thrives on rediscovering old
forgotten or neglected sites and introducing
them to her favorite tour hosts.
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More on
the Life of Jesus: |
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Mary meets Elizabeth |
Wedding in Cana |
1st century AD Bethsaida |
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Arbel / Jesus' ministry |
Pool of Siloam |
1st century AD Jerusalem |
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More
Biblical Archeology:
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GILA
YUDKIN
•
TCHERNIKOVSKI
64A
•
JERUSALEM
•
ISRAEL
gila@itsgila.com
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