Jordan
Jordan is a river mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, located in the region of Judea in modern-day Israel. Known today as Jordan River. It appears across 202 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
The Jordan River is one of Scripture's most theologically significant geographical features, appearing in over two hundred verses across both Testaments. It first gains prominence when Lot chose the well-watered Jordan plain (Genesis 13:10-11). The river became Israel's threshold to the Promised Land when God miraculously parted its waters for Joshua and the Israelites to cross on dry ground (Joshua 3:14-17), echoing the Red Sea crossing and confirming Joshua's leadership. The Jordan marked tribal boundaries, separating the Transjordanian tribes from the western settlements. Naaman the Syrian was healed of leprosy by washing seven times in the Jordan at Elisha's command (2 Kings 5:10-14). Elijah and Elisha both parted its waters (2 Kings 2:8, 14). In the New Testament, the Jordan reaches its supreme theological significance as the site of Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist, where the heavens opened, the Spirit descended like a dove, and the Father declared, "This is my beloved Son" (Matthew 3:13-17). The river thus symbolizes passage from death to life, from exile to promise, and from sin to redemption.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The Jordan River flows approximately 251 kilometers from the slopes of Mount Hermon through the Sea of Galilee and down the Jordan Rift Valley to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth at roughly 430 meters below sea level. The traditional baptismal site, Qasr el-Yahud near Jericho, has been confirmed through Byzantine-era church remains and pilgrim accounts. On the Jordanian side, Bethany Beyond the Jordan (Al-Maghtas) was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015, with excavations revealing Roman and Byzantine baptismal pools, churches, and monastic caves. The river's flow has diminished dramatically in modern times due to extensive water diversion for agriculture. Archaeological surveys along its banks have documented numerous tells and settlements from the Neolithic through Islamic periods.
Verse Appearances (202)
Num
Deut
Josh
Judg
2Sam
2Chr
Job
Isa
Ezek
Zech
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →