The Jordan River
The Jordan River is a major water
source that flows through the Jordan
Rift Valley into the Dead
Sea. The Jordan only reaches 20 yards across in
some places, and its deepest point is around 17 feet.
It extends from tributaries at the base of Mount
Hermon to its main source, the Kinneret,
and then down to the Dead Sea. The river forms the boundary
between the country of Jordan and the West Bank.
The Jordan River is a key water source for Israel, Jordan, Syria,
and Lebanon;
water remains a central issue to the Middle East conflict.
Israel and Jordan have signed treaties on Jordan River-related matters. For Israel, the water
of the Jordan River is an absolute neccessity for drinking
water and for irrigation.
The cultural and religious significance
of the Jordan River is equal to that of its modern practical
uses. In the Tanakh,
the Jordan River is mentioned several times as a source
of fertility for Israel. It is the place where Joshua and the tribes of Israel crossed into Jericho,
and also the scene of many biblical battles. In Christian tradition, the Jordan is the scene of the baptism of Jesus by John
the Baptist. Christian pilgrims can today visit
the traditional site of the baptism at a place called
Yardenit, at the point where the Jordan River flows
out of the Kinneret.
Sources: Israeli
Foreign Ministry; Holy
Land Network; Wikipedia |