Baptismal site
The site has a significant religious status for Christians, as it is where Christ came to John the Baptist and was baptized by him, after which he began his religious service and gathered his first disciples, including Andrew, Peter, and Philip. The ancient walls date back to the first century AD, and there are crosses engraved on them by the first pilgrims who stopped in this place on their way from Jerusalem to Mount Nebo. Over centuries, this place was a baptismal site located below the marble steps leading to the spring near the Church of St. John the Baptist, confirmed by both monks and saints, which is why Christian pilgrims and tourists prefer to gather on the banks of the Jordan today.
The baptismal site is characterized by two distinct areas: the first area is Tel al-Kharrar, which is called Jabal Mar-Elias (Elijah's Hill). There they found the remains of the Monastery, and the second area is the Zour area, which is the area near the river, located to the east, 2 km away. In this area, there is the ancient church of St. John the Baptist and the remains of other churches, baptismal pools, and lodgings for pilgrims. The baptismal site contains the remains of ancient churches, some of which date back to the Byzantine period, and caves located near these churches, which were hermitages for monks and new churches.
Some archaeological discoveries dating back to the Byzantine and Roman eras, indicated that the baptismal site is a famous pilgrimage site, and that was at the beginning of the sixth century; in the period between 491-518 AD, that the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius erected the first church of St. John the Baptist, which was destroyed by the Persians in the year 614 AD. In the thirteenth century, a Greek Orthodox monastery was built. Christians were not allowed to visit the site after the occupation of the West Bank until 1985.