Jesus' Baptism Site Opened to Public
Israel has opened the location at the River Jordan where it is alleged the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist took place.
The location was previously only available to tourist several times a year. The baptism site is located between a group of old minefields, and close to an Israeli military post in the Jordan Valley.
Israeli officials have said, according to AP, that the renovation of the site has cost $2.3 million, with a large chunk of the costs coming from work to remove some of the nearby minefields.
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A ceremony was held Tuesday to open the site, which was attended by the Israeli minister for regional development, Silvan Shalom and various representatives from Christian denominations in Israel.
Officials from Palestine and Jordan refused to attend the ceremony, and made clear that they objected to the opening of the location.
Palestinians opposed the ceremony as they carry hopes of establishing an independent state in the West Bank area. Whereas Jordan disputes claims that the location is the baptism site of Jesus Christ. It claims that the sacred site is actually on their side of the river.
The Israeli site is a popular destination for Christians worldwide. The Israeli Tourism Ministry reported to AP that 3.45 million tourists made a pilgrimage to the location last year. Of those 69 percent were Christian, and 38 percent defined their visit as a religious pilgrimage.
The West Bank was captured from Jordan by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. The war relegated the site to a location of tension and unrest until a peace treaty was signed by the two nations in 1994.
