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January 6, 2015

Jordan welcomes throngs of tourists at site where believers say Jesus was baptized

Cynthia Gelder of Toronto looks over the baptismal area at Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the place it is said that St. John baptized Jesus, about 30 miles west of Amman, Jordan.

AMMAN, Jordan - For most Americans, Epiphany (Jan. 6) passes with little celebration.

Traditionally, the 12th day of Christmas is marked by Eastern Orthodox, Catholics and some mainline Protestants as the day the three kings visited the baby Jesus. For Eastern Rite Christians, Epiphany (also called Theophany) emphasizes the revelation of Jesus as the son of God through his baptism and the beginning of his public ministry. Thousands of believers make pilgrimage on that day to the Jordan River where John baptized Jesus.

Published in International