Located in Bethany, Jordan, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is also known as Al-Maghtas. There is some debate as to where Jesus was baptized by his cousin John. However, John 1:28 states Jesus was baptized in "Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing". The case for the site belonging in Jordan, not Israel, is that John was baptizing 'beyond the Jordan', the river which is the boundary between Israel and Jordan. Additional evidence was uncovered in an ancient mosaic map on the floor of St. George Orthodox Church in Madaba, Jordan.
Even if you believe Jesus was baptized on the Israeli side, the site is worth a visit for the small but beautiful Church of St. John the Baptist.
