One of the highlights of our tour to Israel was the Yardenit Baptismal site. While this location is certainly not the one where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, it was chosen as a safe location where Israel controlled both sides of the river. The baptismal site is free, welcoming half a million pilgrims every year. For those who wish to be baptized in the Jordan River, there are some steps to take. The location rents robes and changing facilities, but not the ceremony itself. Our tour guide offered to hire someone nearby for anyone who wished to be baptized.
My wife and I were the only ones on our tour who initially raised our hands to be baptized. The guide asked if I was willing to pay a pastor to come out and conduct the ceremony, which I agreed to. I believe he said it would cost twenty dollars or so. In an interesting turn of events, our tour group included a pastor whose congregation raised funds to send him on this same journey with us. He approached our tour guide and asked if he would be permitted to conduct the ceremony. When we were approached with this opportunity, we were delighted. We met with the pastor privately the night before the ceremony. By that time, three others in our tour group had decided that they also wanted to be baptized. In all, five of us (all of the protestants in our group) were baptized.
Admission to the Yardenit Baptismal Site is free. However, I believe there was a charge to use the restrooms (probably a shekel or so) for those who had not rented robes. The robe rental converted to around ten dollars each. The rental included access to the changing room, restroom and showers. There was no charge for the pastor, who was provided a robe as well as waders. For those who do not have a pastor or tour guide, you may obtain a list of local clergy by contacting the site directly. They operate a website at www.yardenit.com.
We arrived at the baptismal site at opening time. Our tour guide did not mess around. There were no lines and we were the first group to arrive for the day. (Although there are 12 individual baptismal sites along the river to accommodate heavier traffic). We rented our robes, changed and headed down to the water. The pastor recounted the story of John the Baptist before we took turns being baptized. There were approximately thirty people in our tour group, the majority of them Catholic. There is a seating area (bleacher style) adjacent to the river. They watched patiently, many of them filming the ritual for us. I was surprised that they were as engaged as they were, never mind patient. There is a vendor at the site that produces CDs of the baptisms for a small fee. One of our traveling companions purchased the CD as a gift. It was a serene ceremony that brought together Catholic and Protestant.
The Yardenit Baptismal site operates a store that sells typical Christian tourist gifts. It is a decent sized shop. In addition to purchasing the CDs, the store sells a variety of refreshments, as well as a wide variety of commemorative gifts. We were provided with a complimentary baptismal certificate as well. There is also a restaurant on site, which we did not visit. A couple of site specific items sold in the store included river stones and Jordan River water. Both seemed a bit pricey. I brought a bottle of water with me, which I drank and filled with water from the Jordan directly. It didn't have the fancy labels that the store bottles had, but you pay for those labels.
Hours of Operation
Summer: March – November
Saturday – Thursday: 8:00am till 18:00pm (Baptism Ceremonies until 17:00pm)
Friday: 8:00am till 16:00pm (Baptism Ceremonies until 15:00pm)
Please notice: Baptism can be done up to 1 hour prior to closing.
Winter: December – February
Saturday – Thursday: 8:00am till 17:00pm (Baptism Ceremonies until 16:00pm)
Friday: 8:00am till 16:00pm (Baptism Ceremonies until 15:00pm)
Please notice: Baptism can be done up to 1 hour prior to closing.
On the eve of Jewish or Israeli holidays the site is closed at 1:00 pm.
Yardenit is open seven days a week all year round, except for the Jewish Holiday of Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement).
Contact
Mailing Address
Yardenit Baptismal Site
Kibbutz Kinneret
Jordan Valley 1511800 Israel
Email: info@yardenit.com
Phone: 972 (0)4 675-9111 (during times of operation)
A Christian Guide to Israel
Hotels
Cinema Hotel Tel Aviv, Israel
Ron Beach Hotel, Tiberias, Israel
Prima Park Hotel, Jerusalem, Israel
Attractions
Caesarea National Park Caesarea, Israel
Mount Precipice Mount Kedimum, Israel
Sea of Galilee Boat Ride Tiberias, Israel
Yigal Alon Museum (Jesus Boat) Ginosar, Israel
Capernaum, Israel
St. Peter’s Restaurant Kinneret, Israel
Caesarea Phillipi Banias, Israel
Gadot Lookout and Memorial Golan Heights, Israel
Jordan River Baptismal Site, Yardenit, Israel
Beit She’an National Park Beit She’an, Israel
Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, Israel
Garden Tomb, Jerusalem, Israel
Western Wall, Jerusalem, Israel
Western Wall Tunnels, Jerusalem, Israel
Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem, Israel
Bethlehem New Store Gift Shop
Pool of Bethesda, Jerusalem, Israel
Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Israel
House of Caiaphas the High Priest, Jerusalem, Israel
The Upper Room, Jerusalem, Israel
Tomb of King David, Jerusalem, Israel
Masada National Park, Masada, Israel
The Dead Sea, Masada, Israel
Churches
Discalced Carmelite Monastery Muhraqa, Israel
Basilica of the Annunciation Nazareth, Israel
St. Peter’s Church Capernaum, Israel
Church of the Multiplication Tabgha, Israel
Church of the Beatitudes Tabgha, Israel
Church of All Nations, Jerusalem, Israel
Church of Saint Anne, Jerusalem, Israel
Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem, Israel
Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, West Bank