Bethany beyond the Jordan and Mount of Olives

 

Elijah and Christ on the Jordan

We started the day by visiting Bethany Beyond the Jordan. This is believed to be the site where John the Baptist, baptized Christ. The gospel of John chapters 1, 3, and 10 talk about the baptism being at Bethany on the east side of Jordan. Helena built a church here in the 4^th century. Five churches have been built over that original church. We saw the remains of at least three of these churches. The Jordan was wider then, so the abyss of that church is no longer on the river. We went inside a modern Greek Orthodox church. Nearby is an arch where tradition says that Elijah was raised on his fiery chariot.

Remains of Churches and Baptismal Area

We crossed the border from Jordan to Israel, which took about an hour. On the way to Jerusalem, we passed Jericho surrounded by date palms. Then a few Bedouin families with their goats grazing on grass sprung from the recent rains. 

Eastern Wall and Temple Mount

We stopped at the Mount of Olives with its view of the Eastern Wall built by the Ottomans above the Roman wall, the Temple Mount where the Jewish temple used to be, and the two mosques with the black and gold domes. The Jewish temple was 3 times taller than the Dome Mosque is today and covered in marble. We can see the Eastern gate today is bricked up, but that is the gate Christ entered on a donkey. Below us are numerous cemeteries built here because Christ’s Second Coming is to be from the east.

Cemeteries along Eastern Wall