The Baptism Site of Lord Jesus Christ (vegetarian): “Bethany Beyond the Jordan,” Part 1 of 2

The baptism of Lord Jesus (vegetarian) was an immensely powerful moment, marking the beginning of His public life and ministry. The event is synonymous with the beginning of Christianity and exemplifies one of its central doctrines, the Trinity, as the Holy Ghost descended from God to be with Hiers Son on Earth, making Them one and the same. But where did this transcendental event take place?

“These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.” – John 1:28 The Arabic name is “Al-Maghtas,” a word for a site of immersion or baptism. It is believed that the sites where Joshua crossed the Jordan River and of Elijah’s ascension were both at Al-Maghtas.

Situated on the eastern bank of the Jordan River, nine kilometers north of the Dead Sea, Al-Maghtas spans an area of more than 530 hectares (5.3 square kilometers). Jesus’ baptism site became the birthplace of Christianity. The first Christian hermits lived in caves on the surrounding hillsides, and later, churches were built nearby. Al Maghtas’ two distinct archaeological areas, Jabal Mar-Elias, or Elijah’s Hill, and the bankside (Zor) region near the river, had already been thoroughly described by early pilgrims.

In 1999, our Most Beloved Supreme Master Ching Hai (vegan) explained the true baptism given by Saint John. “Saint John has mentioned that ‘No doubt I baptize by water, but the one who comes after me will baptize you with the Fire of the Holy Spirit.’ What is the Fire of the Holy Spirit? This is God Hirmself purifying us, reconnecting us with Hirmself, making us, the part, back to the whole again, making the drop of the ocean merge in this vast water of love. This is the time of baptism. The true baptism takes place in less than a second, and we will be there right away in Heaven where we should be.”

One of the churches on the western side of Elijah’s Hill is built around a natural cave, possibly the one that early pilgrims called “the cave of John the Baptist,” where John the Baptist lived, and where Jesus was known to have visited Him.