At the moment the River Jordan lacks its biblical proportions, however some 200,000 guests nonetheless flock to the normal spot for Christian baptisms in Jordan in a typical 12 months.

I watch as teams from the US and Europe take turns to dip cautiously within the slim breadth of muddy water and {photograph} themselves alongside the reed-lined banks.

“If you’re within the space you need to go to. It is a part of historical past,” enthuses Oliver, who’s French. Mark from Maryland says he got here for “the spirituality, to have the ability to stroll within the footsteps of Jesus”.

This month is peak season for pilgrims as Western – after which Jap – Orthodox church buildings rejoice Epiphany. The vacation marks each the go to of the Three Clever Males, or Magi, to a new-born Jesus, and his later baptism by the prophet John.

Not too long ago, Jordan introduced an bold $100m (£83m) plan geared toward drawing one million Christians to al-Maghtas in 2030, to commemorate what’s seen as the two,000th anniversary of Jesus’s baptism.

It guarantees a biblical village and the biggest Christian pilgrimage and interfaith centre within the area, recognising that the River Jordan and its valley can also be loaded with non secular significance for Jews and Muslims.

“It is at all times nice to have our guests, our pilgrims, expertise what John and Jesus did,” says Rustom Mkhjian, director normal of Jordan’s baptism website.

“I name it ‘the fifth gospel’, as you bodily see what you learn in all of the 4 gospels. Really you are feeling within the midst of non secular historical past and religion.”

Among the many many options he factors out is a local plant well-liked with bees, known as yanbout or locust pod, reminding me that the Bible describes St John wearing his camel-hair clothes, consuming “locusts and wild honey”.

The baptism website, also referred to as Bethany Past the Jordan, is a Unesco World Heritage website, the place the ruins of Roman and Byzantine church buildings, a monastery and baptism swimming pools are preserved among the many wilderness close to to the bottom level on Earth.

They have been uncovered in 1995 after Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel.

Previous to that, either side of the river had been a closed army zone for the reason that 1967 Center East Battle, during which Israel captured the West Financial institution from Jordan and occupied it.

“The rediscovery of the location is among the fruits of peace,” Mr Mkhjian tells me. “Think about, 11 big minefields have been demined. I am speaking about tens of hundreds of mines have been taken away. Is not it nice to have thousands and thousands of pilgrims as an alternative of mines?”

Though the Jordanians vie with the Israeli-controlled facet of the river for vacationers, previously 20 years three Catholic popes, two popes from the Coptic Church and church leaders from all around the world have visited al-Maghtas.

The wealthy and well-known have had their kids baptised right here, and Jordan’s royal courtroom has despatched the holy waters for British royal christenings.

On the invitation of the Jordanian authorities, completely different Christian denominations have constructed new church buildings right here, with extra deliberate. It makes for a uncommon sight within the Center East.

“It is heart-warming,” an American customer, Sharon, tells me, praising the initiative by Jordan’s Muslim royal household.

“We’re studying how a lot all of us have in frequent, and that the Jordanian authorities is establishing all of this to offer each denomination they’ll discover the fitting to share within the property right here.”

The masterplan for the brand new 340-acre baptism zone, subsequent to the Unesco website, was unveiled final month by King Abdullah.

Samir Murad, who chairs the non-profit basis arrange by the Jordanian authorities to supervise the undertaking, insists the integrity of the world will likely be maintained.

“It might be silly and unwise to attempt to create a touristic vacation spot that is based mostly on commercialisation and theme park-type points in a website so holy,” he says.

“Let’s bear in mind that is the third-holiest website in Christianity. That is the location the place Jesus received his calling and so it could be extremely inappropriate, if you’ll, to deprave it or violate in any approach.”

Plans for the brand new growth embrace so-called glamping-style lodging and eateries, serving domestically grown natural meals. Web and electrical energy cables will likely be hidden underground.

A big a part of the zone will likely be reserved for agriculture and a chicken sanctuary to guard the pure setting. Assistance is being sought from the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew within the UK to reintroduce some biblical crops.

Jordan is interesting to worldwide donors – together with governments and non secular organisations – to contribute to the prices.

In a area fraught with battle, partly pushed by non secular divisions, the hope is that the undertaking will encourage others with its present of cultural openness and interfaith concord.