Qasr el Yahud
| قصر اليهود | |
 Baptism facilities on west bank of the Jordan River | |
 .svg.png){kind=icon} Shown within the West Bank | |
| Alternate name | Al-Maghtas |
|---|---|
| Location | Jericho Governorate, West Bank |
| Coordinates | 31°50′18″N 35°32′21″E / 31.838333°N 35.539167°E |
Qasr el Yahud (Arabic: قصر اليهود; also Kasser/Qasser al-Yahud/Yehud etc.; lit. "Castle of the Jews") is the official name of a baptism site in the Jordan River Valley. It is the western part of the traditional site of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17), in Arabic Al-Maghtas, a name which was historically used for the pilgrimage site on both sides of the river. It is also traditionally considered to be the place where the Israelites crossed the Jordan River,[1] and where Elijah the Prophet split the waters and then ascended to heaven.
Qasr el-Yahud is close to the ancient road and river ford connecting Jerusalem, via Jericho, to several Transjordanian biblical sites such as Madaba, Mount Nebo and the King's Highway. It is located in the West Bank, a little southeast from Jericho and is part of the Jericho Governorate of Palestine.
The baptism site with its facilities is administered by the Israeli Civil Administration and the Israeli Ministry of Tourism in form of an Israeli national park.
Name
The traditional Arabic name of the baptism site is Al-Maghtas, which has been used for an area stretching over both banks of the river, since the pilgrimage site has also slightly moved during history. Apparently for administrative reasons, the Jordanian side of the site is using the names Al-Maghtas, Bethany beyond the Jordan and simply Baptism(al) Site, while the western part is officially called Qasr el-Yahud. The latter name is actually inaccurate, since it is borrowed from the nearby Greek Orthodox Monastery of St John the Baptist, which has a castle-like appearance (thus qasr, "castle"), allegedly conflated with the tradition of the Israelites' crossing of the river at this spot (thus el-Yahud, "of the Jews").[2][3][4]
History
For the history of the larger traditional baptism site, see Al-Maghtas.
Reopening in 2011
The modern site reopened in 2011 after being closed for 44 years, since the 1967 Six-Day War. The restoration project was approved before the 2000 millennium celebrations but was delayed due to the Second Intifada and flooding in the region in 2003.[1] It is administered by the Israeli Civil Administration and the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. During recent wartime and before the site was accessible again, baptisms took place at Yardenit.
See also
- Aenon, a baptism site mentioned in the Gospel of John
- Al-Maghtas, the traditional site of Jesus' baptism
- Baptism of Jesus
- Bethabara, a name used by some versions of the New Testament for the site of Jesus' baptism
- National parks and nature reserves of Israel
- New Testament places associated with Jesus
References
- 1 2 "Take me to the river". Haaretz.com.
- ↑ "Survey of Western Palestine, sheet 15". Palestine Exploration Fund. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
- ↑ Dr Theodosios Mitropoulos, architect. "The Holy Monastery of St John the Baptist on the banks of the Jordan River/Qasr-el-Yahud". The [Greek Orthodox] Patriarchate of Jerusalem – Official News Gate. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
The Holy Monastery of St John the Baptist on the banks of the Jordan River/Qasr-el-Yahud […] The perimeter walls, specifically their uppermost portion, terminate at battlements, which lend the monument the form of a Medieval castle. This is in all likelihood why its Arabian name is Qasr el Yahud [The castle of the Jews]
- ↑ Othmar Keel, Max Küchler, Christoph Uehlinger (1992). Orte und Landschaften der Bibel, Volume 2. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. p. 528. ISBN 9783525501672. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kasser Al Yahud. |
Coordinates: 31°50′18″N 35°32′21″E / 31.83833°N 35.53917°E