Jordan River

The course of the Jordan River begins in the northeast corner of the Hulah Valley of Israel, running south to the Sea of Galilee (also called the Kinneret) and then on to the Dead Sea near Jericho. The river is approximately 250 kilometers long. Throughout history, the Jordan has been an essential natural feature in a land marked by political and religious conflict. In modern times, the river serves as both a geopolitical boundary and a source of religious fascination, especially for Christians.
Did you know…?
- The Canaanites are said to occupy “land by the sea, and along the Jordan.”
- Moses leads the Israelites to the land east of the Jordan but is not allowed to cross over.
- The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh help with the conquest of the promised land west of the Jordan but settle on the east side of the river.
- At the fords of the Jordan, the Gileadites are said to slay 42,000 Ephraimites.
- Like Matthew and Mark, Luke’s gospel refers to Jesus being baptized in the Jordan, but unlike the first two Gospels, John the Baptist is not mentioned.
- John’s gospel suggests that there was a competition between the disciples of John and the disciples of Jesus over who was baptizing the most people.
- Although John’s gospel mentions John the Baptist and uses some language reminiscent of Jesus’ baptism in the synoptic Gospels, it never says that Jesus was baptized.
Was the Jordan River an important geopolitical border in biblical times?
Throughout the Hebrew Bible, the Jordan River serves primarily as a regional indicator and a boundary, both real and symbolic. Early in the biblical narrative, Lot discovers that the “plain of the Jordan was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord” (
Crossing the Jordan becomes a pivotal motif in Israelite self-understanding (
In the rest of the book of Joshua and in Judges, the Jordan frequently serves as a geographical marker—in stories of conquest (
Under the monarchy, the Jordan continues to be a significant border and a place where God demonstrates his power. In
Is the modern Christian fascination with baptism in the Jordan River justified?
In the New Testament, the Jordan River continues to serve as a territorial marker (
After the initial flurry of baptismal activity at the Jordan, action in the Gospels shifts to other regions (the Galilee and Jerusalem) and activities (preaching, miracles, suffering). Baptism returns as a significant theme in the book of Acts and the Letters. Although baptism continues to be a significant rite of passage into the community of Jesus’ followers, it is also connected to controversy—over believers’ allegiance to the person who baptized them and to “baptism by the Holy Spirit” (
The modern Christian fascination with the Jordan River as a place of baptism is apparent, especially at certain baptismal sites near the Sea of Galilee and, more recently, east of Jericho. Though this practice captures the spirit of one important period of activity within the earliest Palestinian Jesus movement, the biblical traditions associated with the Jordan go far beyond this particular ritual.