Bethany Beyond the Jordan & the Royal Automobile Museum
Day One - Jordan - 2023
A morning exploring the site of the baptism of Jesus Christ, followed by an afternoon ogling the goods at the Royal Automobile Museum.
1. This All Happened at Bethany on the Other Side of the Jordan, Where John Was Baptizing
A view looking across the valley of the Jordan River towards Jericho in the West Bank.
There are three events in the life of Jesus Christ that historians -regardless of personal belief- almost universally agree occurred: the first, of course, is his birth; the second is his crucifixion; and the third is his baptism by John the Baptist.
While the matter of Jesus being baptized is generally uncontested, the location of this baptism was for a time -and, to some, still is- debated. Most historical scholarship has used passages of the New Testament and the Madaba Map to determine that this site on the east bank of the Jordan River -referred to as Bethany Beyond the Jordan- is the undoubted location of Jesus’ baptism.
Specifically, the New Testament Gospel of John is what many point to when claiming the baptism occurred in present-day Jordan, which makes reference to John the Baptist being “on the other side of the Jordan [River].”
2. The Shallow Crossing of the Jordan River
The Jordan River at Bethany -only a few meters wide and quite fordable- is referenced in several religious texts as a “shallow crossing” of the Jordan River, and was used for generations for this purpose.
On the first day of my Jordan Tour, I visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the location generally agreed to be the site of the baptism of Jesus Christ as described above. Guided tours run fairly regularly from the site’s visitor’s center. While you wait, there are informational displays about the site you can view.
You’ll be transported by bus through a security checkpoint (the site sits along the Israel-Jordan border) before arriving at a small parking lot adjoining a pedestrian walkway which goes to the site. There is a small shop nearby where you may purchase items you may want to dip into the Jordan River, such as rosaries.
As you walk down the path, you’ll come across a small bend in the Jordan River; here, you’d be forgiven if you think you can merely hop across into the West Bank - the river is surprisingly narrow and shallow! It is no surprise, then, to learn that this location was used for generations as a river ford.
3. The Site of the Baptism of Jesus Christ
While Jesus’ baptism would have occurred in the Jordan River itself, changes in the river’s course over the centuries complicated efforts to identify the specific location of this event, which is now generally believed to have occurred close to the river’s presence course.
Walking further down the path, you come across the purported location of Jesus’ baptism. A cut has been made into the earth to tap an underground spring on the location. While I’m sure there’s some way to arrange it, access to this specific location is restricted to visitors to the site.
4. Qasr el Yahud
A second site commemorating the baptism site -Qasr el Yahud- sits in the West Bank, presently as part of a national park of Israel.
As mentioned previously, a determination as to the exact location of Jesus’ baptism is hardly a settled matter. While UNESCO and the majority of Christian denominations agree the site on the Jordanian side of the river is where the baptism occurred, a competitor site sits all the same across the Jordan River. It is important to note this West Bank location is significantly more visited than its Jordanian counterpart (note during my 2023 visit this site was closed due to the ongoing Gaza Crisis).
5. A View to the West Bank
The question, therefore, becomes: do people believe the site actually to be on the West Bank, perhaps even contrary to their own faith’s stance on the matter? While certain the Jordan site has its detractors (a lack of significant archaeological evidence being the most compelling factor), the reality is Qasr el Yahud’s popularity can be attributed to political reality more than anything else: holy land pilgrims would need to secure a visa and make a border crossing to visit the opposite side of the river for the opportunity to be blessed in a part of the Jordan River just a few meters away. Unless they were to visit other religious sites in Jordan -such as Mount Nebo- this is, admittedly, impractical. As far as I can tell, visitors are content to visit either side of the river, but -all the same- a rivalry about the “true” site continues on.
6. St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church
The St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church was built in 2003 atop the ruins of a Byzantine-age church built on the same location.
After some free time down at the riverfront, you may opt to take a few moments to look at the nearby Greek Orthodox church. It is small in stature, but impressively beautiful in side and worth a visit.
7. The Dividing Line Exists Not Between Jordan & Israel …
Despite a 1994 peace agreement between Jordan and Israel, the border is still tense, with Bethany featuring armed guards …
After the 1967 Six-Day War, the Jordan River became the de facto border between Jordan and Israel, who thenceforth occupied the West Bank. The border was heavily mined at that time -to include the area around the baptism site- and this matter wasn’t cleared until 1994 when the two parties signed a peace agreement. If nothing else, this situation prevented significant archaeological studies at Bethany. Despite Bethany being a place of peace, the border is still a high-tension area: note the armed security force member seated under the canopy.
8. … But Between the Proponents of Peace & the Opponents of Peace
… and border security fencing.
After 1994, an effort undertaken by Prince Ghazi of the Jordanian royal family to demine and rehabilitate the site eventually led to its recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. It is worth noting that Ghazi -as is all those born into the Hashemite royal family- is a direct descendent of the Muslim prophet Muhammed; while Jesus is an important figure in Islam, the courtesy extended by Ghazi and the rest of the Jordanian royal family to Christian faiths and their believers -including multiple popes- is laudable. Such a relationship should be viewed as a model for the coexistence of religions in the region.
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Now back to the travelogue!
9. As-Salt
As-Salt served as Jordan’s first capital city for three months.
After departing Bethany, we made our way up to the ancient city of As-Salt. Situated on three hills and perhaps dating to the time of Alexander the Great, As-Salt was the trading center of Jordan during the period of the Ottoman Empire. This brought the city great prosperity and its expansion saw a unique architectural style. Al-Salt lost some of its prestige when the capital was moved to Amman early in the days of the Transjordan Emirate, but today it is a quant hillside city with excellent walking routes and superb restaurants.
10. The Martian Rover
“The Martian” is one of several films made in Jordan; in particular, Wadi Rum is used as a stand-in for other worlds.
After returning to Amman, and not wishing to venture downtown, I decided instead to head to the Royal Automobile Museum on the west side of Amman. This is a collection of vehicles belonging to the Jordanian royal family which are on display when not in use. You read that right - perhaps it is better to think of this as more of a garage than museum as many of the vehicles here are mission-ready. Additionally, the museum houses vehicles and movie props presented to the royal family, such as the rover used in the 2015 film, “The Martian”.
11. The Royal Automobile Museum #1
A 1916 Cadillac Type 53, which belonged to Shariff Hussein, and a 1916 Harley-Davidson Model J.
There are a couple dozen excellent automobile museums in the world, but, typically, these are tied to either the production of a manufacturer, a country or region, or the very specific preferences of a single collector which results in only a handful of marques being displayed. What makes the Royal Automobile Museum unique is that it has an incredible diversity of vehicles from all over the world under one roof.
In total, the Royal Automobile Museum houses around 70 cars and 50 motorbikes, which -given its size- makes for a very dense exhibit.
In addition to the vehicles you see here, the museum houses King Hussein’s fully-restored Aston-Martin (found in Iraq, of all places), an armored 1956 Cadillac gifted by U.S. President Eisenhower, several Mercedes-Benz models (including the vehicle converted for King Hussein’s funeral, and a Grosser), several Rolls-Royce models, a “Pope-Mobile” Land Rover, some rally cars, a BMW M1, and a 1936 Cord, among many others.
Even if you’re not interested in automobiles as machines, I think you can still appreciate many of these models as objet d’art whose provenance is of great interest.
Seven additional Royal Automobile Museum photos follow.
Photographer’s Comment: The density of the exhibits here, along with some (intentionally?) dim lighting makes photography of these vehicles very, very challenging. I shot at 18mm in f/1.8 and it was still tricky working around the shadows and stanchions.
12. The Royal Automobile Museum #2
A 1946 Humber Super Snipe, which was the private car of Abdullah I.
13. The Royal Automobile Museum #3
A 1949 Buick Roadmaster used by King Abdullah I for official functions.
14. The Royal Automobile Museum #4
A 1961 Lincoln Continental which is still in active service by the Jordanian royal family; this is the same year and model as the one John F. Kennedy was assassinated in; however, that one underwent significant modification to have three rows of seating.
15. The Royal Automobile Museum #5
A super rare 1938 Packard Twelve, which belonged initially to King Faisal II of Iraq.
16. The Royal Automobile Museum #6
A 1956 Jaguar XK140 MC Roadster, a gift from Jaguar to the museum (foreground); a 1957 Mercedes 300SL Roadster (background).
17. The Royal Automobile Museum #7
The ultra-rare Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss
18. The Royal Automobile Museum #8
A Ferrari F50 (left) and Ferrari F40 (right).
After departing the Royal Automobile Museum, I made my way back to my hotel for a relaxing evening before exploring Amman and Jerash the following day.
