The Bible recounts that people used to travel from Jerusalem and Judah and from neighboring countries to the Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist: “And in those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan” (Mark 1:9). Jesus left Nazareth, went to Skithopolis (Beisan) and spent the night near Pella. On the morning of the next day of his journey, he went to the east bank of the Jordan, and reached Bethany across the Jordan, and went to John to be baptized by his hand. But John tried to dissuade him by saying, “I need to be baptized by your hand, or do you come to me?” Jesus answered him: “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” So, he left him and did what he wanted” (Matthew 3: 14-15). The Evangelist John confirms the location of these events in his saying: “And this took place in Bethany, across the Jordan, where John was baptizing” (John 1:28).
