New Baptismal Site on the Jordan

A new baptismal site will be opening this week and will be accessible to foreign tourists, Palestinians and Israelis. As released by the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria Spokesman's Office,this Sunday and Monday, 18-19.1.09, various Orthodox Christian communities will hold their traditional ceremonies at the Qasr al-Yehud baptismal site on the banks of the Jordan River, off the Jericho Bypass Road (Route #90).

The Greek Orthodox ceremony (18.1.09, beginning at 11:00) is expected to draw approximately 20,000 participants from Russia, Cyprus, Greece, Ukraine, Georgia, Poland, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. It will begin with a procession from the St. John monastery to the baptismal site and will be presided over by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. Other communities' ceremonies will be held as follows:

Ethiopian – 18.1.09, at 13:00.

Syrian – 19.1.09, at 08:30.

Coptic – 19.1.09, at 10:30.