John the Baptist is a figure of such spiritual significance that he transcends the boundaries of different traditions. Christians, Muslims, Druze, and Baha’i consider the Baptist (also known as Yuhanna in Arabic or Yahya in Islam) a prophet and a model of righteousness for believers.
Christians consider John the Baptist one of the most important saints of all times, for many reasons: his kinship with Jesus of Nazareth, his miraculous birth, and especially the fact that Jesus himself compared him to the prophet Elijah and said of him that he was “the greatest man ever born of a woman.”
His life and ministry are told in the Gospels. In these Christian narratives, John is conceived of as the forerunner of Jesus. He was known to have preached repentance and the imminent coming of the Messiah, and to have baptized his followers (Jesus included) in the Jordan River –at the site now known as Al-Maghtas in Jordan.
The baptism of Jesus in the Jordan is one of the founding moments of Christianity, and the site where it occurred has been a center of pilgrimage for centuries. Thousands of Christian pilgrims travel to Jordan each year to visit Al-Maghtas, renew their baptismal vows, and pray at the site where Jesus was baptized. It is believed that Jesus chose his first apostles, Andrew and Peter, from among the followers of the Baptist at Bethany beyond the Jordan –as recorded in the first chapter of the Gospel of John.
(Visitors praying at Jesus's baptismal site, photo by Greg Tarczynski)
In Islam, John the Baptist is known as the Prophet Yahya, son of the Prophet Zechariah (Zakariya). The Qur’an makes several references to him, emphasizing his righteousness and his wisdom from an early age. Yahya is revered for being a just man and faithful to God, known for his humility and devotion. According to Islam (as in Christianity) Yahya preached the need for repentance and prepared people for the coming of a new divine message.
Islam recognizes baptism as a significant act in Yahya’s life, albeit with significant differences from Christianity. Nevertheless, his life and mission as a prophet preaching repentance are common to both traditions. Jordanian Muslims deeply respect the site of Al-Maghtas –and other sites associated with Yahya’s life, ministry, and death.
In the Bahá’í faith, John the Baptist is recognized as a key figure in the prophetic tradition that precedes the advent of the great Manifestations of God. For Bahá’ís, the Baptist symbolizes the continuity of divine revelation and the cycle of teachings that gather all religions together in a single progressive truth.
On the other hand, Druzeism, an esoteric monotheistic religion with roots in Islam, also has a deep respect for prophets like John the Baptist. In Druzeism, Yuhanna is considered a manifestation of divine power sent to humanity to guide it toward a righteous and pious life.
(Mukawir, photo by Turk Lens)
But John the Baptist’s relationship with Jordan does not end at Al-Maghtas. Machaerus, an ancient hilltop fortress, located in modern-day Jordan's village of Mukawir near the Dead Sea, is considered the place where the Baptist was martyred by order of Herod. The ancient fortress has become a place where pilgrims go to think on John’s sense of truth and justice –themes that resonate throughout his ministry.
Both Al-Maghtas and Machaerus underscore the importance of Jordan in the history of religion. These sites, associated with the life and ministry of John the Baptist, continue to be places of pilgrimage and spiritual reflection. Jordan preserves these historic sites promoting a spirit of coexistence and respect among traditions.
St. John the Baptist’s connection to Jordan is not only a matter of geography, but also of shared spirituality. His life and ministry, from the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River to his final days at Machaerus, are an integral part of the region’s shared spiritual heritage. By protecting these holy sites, Jordan continues to serve as a rallying point for Christians, Muslims, Druze, and Bahá’ís who see in John a symbol of faith, service, and commitment to God and others.