Yardenit

Yardenit (Hebrew: ירדנית), also known as the Yardenit Baptismal Site, is a baptism site located along the Jordan River in the Galilee region of northern Israel, which is frequented by Christian pilgrims.

According to Christian tradition, the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17) took place in Bethany Beyond the Jordan (Al-Maghtas), north of the Dead Sea and east of Jericho.

For centuries, al-Maghtas was the most important baptism site for pilgrims, and monasteries and guest houses were established near it.

[1] Since the Six-Day War, Israel has occupied the west margin of the Jordan river, including the area immediately opposite the Jordanian site, known as Qasr al-Yahud.

Due to military activity and excavations in that area of the West Bank, however, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism established Yardenit in 1981 as an alternative pilgrimage site.