However, archeological evidence, historical writings, and the gospel accounts point to an area on the southern half of the Jordan River, about five and a half miles north of the Dead Sea and a little more than six miles southeast of the city of Jericho.

It’s difficult to know the exact location of Jesus’ baptism. Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/thanasus Where Was Jesus Baptized in the Jordan River?Īll four gospels describe Jesus’ baptism taking place on the banks of the Jordan River at the hands of John the Baptist, his cousin ( Matthew 3, Mark 1:1-11, Luke 3:1-21, John 1:6-34) It's probable that John the Baptist baptized Jesus and others in one of these shallow pools or inlets on the eastern side of the river. Prior to reaching the Dead Sea, the Jordan River creates a geographical border between Israel’s West Bank and present-day Jordan to the west. Once exiting the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River winds through the Judean countryside, fed by two major tributaries, the Yarmouk and Jabbok ( Genesis 32:22) to the east, until it eventually connects with the Dead Sea, where it ends. It was also a key location in the ministry of Jesus ( Matthew 4:13-22, Mark 4:1-34, Matthew 13:2, Matthew 5-7) and the setting for some of his greatest miracles ( Mark 5:21-43, Luke 8:22-25, Luke 9:10-17, John 6:16-21)

The Sea of Galilee, sometimes referred to as Lake Gennesaret ( Luke 5:1) or Sea of Tiberius ( John 6:1, John 21:1) is only about a day’s walk from Nazareth, the town where Jesus grew up ( Matthew 2:19-23). Today, the nearly 156 miles of the Jordan River flow southward from Mount Hermon, located on the border of modern-day Syria and Lebanon, and drain into the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel. The Jordan River ( Ha-Yarden in Hebrew) is an important geographical feature in the Middle East and key location in the history of Israel and the Bible.

Not only did Jesus’ baptism serve as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and a confirmation of his divinity as the Son of God, the baptism of Jesus is generally seen as the beginning of Christ’s public ministry. The Baptism of Jesus Christ, described in all four Gospels, took place in the Jordan River, just a few miles north of the Dead Sea and roughly six miles east of Jericho.

Crossing the jordan river bible verse