Today, the Prince of Wales (and the Duchess) of Cornwall, dipped their hands in holy River Jordan water which is used for baptising royal babies.
Charles and Camilla flew in a helicopter to one the most sacred religious sites of Jordan. There, they were granted the immense honour of being able to walk down to the riverbed and witness the baptism of Jesus Christ.
The UNESCO site of world heritage is situated in Jordan Valley north of the Dead Sea on the border of Israel. This location welcomes pilgrims and has been acknowledged by major Christian church leaders as being one of three holy sites of Christianity.
He and his wife followed a well-worn path and then a steep and pebbly path that led to the water. They paused for some quiet reflection and continued walking gingerly.
Today, the Prince of Wales (and the Duchess) of Cornwall, dipped their hands in holy River Jordan water which is used for royal baptisms
Then they bent down and each dipped their fingers in (pictured) before walking carefully back up the path to sign a visitor’s book
After they had lowered their heads, Camilla followed Charles and then Camilla dipped in before carefully walking back up to sign the visitor’s book.
Prior to their arrival, they had stopped by Elijah’s Hill. Here John the Baptist lived in a cave for approximately 20 years and Jesus was believed to have visited them.
The couple was able to see Jericho as well as Jerusalem from the ruins.
Elijah’s Hill may be the location where Elijah ascended from heaven in 9th-century BC. It offers breathtaking views over the desert and the River Jordan.
According to the Bible, Elijah will return prior to the arrival of Jesus. Therefore John the Baptist started baptizing people in these areas. This caused quite a stir among the villages surrounding.
They were greeted by HRH Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad, King’s Senior Advisor for Religious and Cultural Affairs who took a keen interest in the project and Rustom Khjian, Director General of Baptism Site.
The couple walked together gingerly along some worn steps, a steep path with pebbles to the water and stopped for a moment of quiet reflection.
Jordanian residents have taken immense pride in excavating the area and leaving much the same as in Christ’s day.
Royal visitors received a tour and had the chance to spend a quiet moment in John the Baptist’s cave.
He seemed especially moved by the opportunity to see a spot where so many pilgrims and prophets were said to have passed.
Pre-Covid-19, it welcomed more than 200,000 visitors per year and the expectation is that this number will again be reached over the next one-two years.
After being taken to the Baptism location by golf buggy they were transported back on electric vehicles. They then flew back to Amman to enjoy a royal dinner.
Mkhjian later said about the visit, “It was amazing.” They were so curious about the Royal Highnesses. He was delighted to discover so many more things than when he visited last. His last words were, “Your Royal Hirtness, welcome at the lowest spot on earth which is close to heaven”.
“I was thrilled to be able show John the significance of this site and also to explain how we preserved it in the same way Jesus did.
Charles and Camilla flew in a helicopter to one the most sacred religious sites of Jordan. There, they were granted the immense honor of being able to walk down to the riverbed and witness the baptism of Jesus Christ (pictured).
His Holiness Pope Francis was the first visitor to visit the Baptism site. This is an immense honor.
“They are touching the water table that pilgrims described in the 6th Century. Over the years, it has become a deteriorated and worn-down by thousands of feet.
Following their time together at the Baptism location, the prince participated in an interfaith meeting on religious tolerance and the environment.
He explained to them that they were the people and leaders in their communities. They are also the people responsible for reminding the flocks that harmony is possible with the natural world. There is still hope. There are many ways that we can improve our lives.
“I ask with all my heart for the Churches and Faiths to lead the way alongside those working in the private and public sectors.
“Now is the best time to put people’s awareness into concrete action on ground.”
He explained to them that each Faith needed to take care of the environment in the same way as they did for interfaith relationships.
He was asked by the religious group to pray for the Queen.