Sister

Every year, on January 18th, thousands of Orthodox Christian pilgrims go down to Qasr Al Yahud, the traditional baptism spot on the Jordan River, and... more

by Isaac Silman

Title

Sister

Artist

Isaac Silman

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Every year, on January 18th, thousands of Orthodox Christian pilgrims go down to Qasr Al Yahud, the traditional baptism spot on the Jordan River, and the most fascinating and impressive of all the baptism ceremonies taking place in the Holy Land can be seen there. The feast of Epiphany (the Greek word for “appearance”) symbolizes two important events in the life of Jesus: one is the visit of the 3 Magi (Wise Men) to Bethlehem when Jesus was born, and their recognition of him as the Messiah, and the other is the day that Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. The 4 Gospels of the New Testament vary in their account of the baptism. In Matthew 3 it says: “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’”. Orthodox Christians celebrate that festive event every year on January 18th at the famous site on the Jordan River, Qasr Al Yahud. Qasr Al Yahud means Jewish castle. According to another tradition, it is at this spot that the Israelites, led by Joshua, crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land 3,200 years ago. Others say that the first word (qasr) comes from an Arabic word meaning “break” and that this is the place where the Jews “broke” the waters.

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January 29th, 2013