According to the Gospel of John, John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing in “Bethany, beyond the Jordan” (John 1:28). The site, also Bethabara, is identified on the eastern side of the Jordan River, opposite Jericho. The site was first documented in the 1890s but was excavated only a century later, in the 1990s. These excavations exposed several buildings and pools used for Baptismal ceremonies in the Byzantine period. Monk cells were also recorded around the site. Next to the river, ruins of a monastery from the Byzantine period were uncovered. According to local tradition, Jesus left his clothes here when John baptized him. Following the excavations, the site was developed for visits and Christian baptismal ceremonies. In addition, several churches were built around the archaeological site, although some have not yet been completed.

A tour of the Baptism Site can be combined with a multi-day tour of Jordan.