In the footsteps of the prophets
By Nick Wyke

The Times, UK
Nov 20 2004

Our correspondent follows the pilgrims discovering a part of the Holy
Land rich in biblical sites

THE wealth of biblical sites in the Muslim kingdom of Jordan is
attracting growing numbers of Christian pilgrims who are deterred by
the violent conflict from visiting Israel.

Even a recent visit by the pop star Madonna to kabbalist sites in
Israel failed to boost the country’s tourism, and a wider picture
shows that pilgrimages – once the lifeblood of its tourist industry –
have slumped. Compared to the relatively peaceful few years before
the intifada – the Palestinian grassroots uprising of September 2000 –
American and British tour groups are staying away.

This makes neighbouring Jordan seem an increasingly popular
alternative. Its three most important biblical sites are: Bethany,
where Christ is said to have been baptised by John the Baptist;
Mount Nebo, from which Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land;
and Machaerus, the hilltop village where John the Baptist was beheaded
by Herod Antipas, the successor to Herod the Great.

Jordan is also where Jacob wrestled with the angel of God, Job suffered
and was rewarded for his faith, and Elijah ascended to heaven. These
stories are critical not only to the development of Christianity, but
in the evolution of the monotheistic religions of Judaism and Islam.

“In the past the Christian market has been an optional add-on to
tours of Israel, but now it is holding its own,” says David Symes,
sales and marketing manager of the Jordan Tourism Board in London.

Two years ago Symes joined a pioneering interfaith pilgrimage,
organised by Saga Holidays, that brought British Christians and Muslims
together on a tour of the sites of prophets in Jordan. Each day’s
coach trip would begin with a reading from the Bible and one from
the Koran. “Given what was going on in the world post-9/11, you had
to pinch yourself to believe this was really happening,” says Symes.

Although the tours are no longer run, they reflect a certain
peacefulness and potential for interfaith dialogue in Jordan that is
not always possible elsewhere in the Middle East. This is one of the
factors that makes a trip there, whether as a pilgrim or otherwise,
so fascinating.

“You set out to see Christian sites and deepen your relationship with
God and the Bible and you do that, but you also get to learn so much
about the Muslim world,” says the Rev Rupert Lazar, of West Croydon
Baptist Church, one of a group of Baptist leaders that recently
toured Jordan.

“To witness the behaviour and values of practising Muslims first-hand
was enlightening. To hear how Christians and Muslims live in peace
with respect for each other was heartening, when back home we just
hear that they are at loggerheads,” says Mr Lazar.

A good starting point to any pilgrimage in Jordan is the Byzantine-era
mosaic map at St George’s church in Madaba, the most important
Christian centre in Jordan. The original map contained more than
two million pieces and showed all the biblical sites from Lebanon to
Egypt. Only one third of the whole now survives – identifying Karak,
home to a crusaders’ castle, and Lot’s cave and monastery in Jordan.

One of the most significant finds of recent times is the baptism site
at Bethany, which has just opened a visitors’ centre. About ten years
ago the Jordanian Antiquities Ministry received news that shepherds had
unearthed ancient pots and coins in the military zone at the northern
end of the Dead Sea. After scrutinising the finds and the Bible the
ministry believed this to be the site where Jesus was baptised by
John and anointed by God. Landmines were cleared and excavations began.

Proof, the Jordanians argue, is based on biblical references (John 1,
28, for example), archaeological finds – the remains of three churches
and baptism pools – and journals of pilgrims from the 4th century AD.

“It’s the lowest point on Earth but the closest to Heaven,” says
Rustain Mkhjian, an Armenian Christian responsible for the restoration
of the site.

The sage-green river flanked with bulrushes conjures a scene from a
children’s Bible. It is so close to the West Bank that you can see
Israeli army lookout posts, and a message on my mobile phone reads:
“Welcome to Israel”. Russians are baptised here in bikinis and fill
bottles with river water to take home.

“When Christians pray here, I can feel how touched they are,” says
Kamel al-Jaysui, a Jordanian tour guide.