Special day for Christians
Photo: AP
Pilgrims dip in Jordan River under heavy security
Thousands of Christians head to site where John the Baptist believed to have baptized Jesus
Thousands of Christian pilgrims took a dip at the Jordan River ahead of the Easter holiday under heavy security Wednesday at one of Christianity's holiest sites.
Three different ceremonies, coordinated with Civil Administration officials in Jericho headed by Colonel Itzik Deri, took place at Qasr al-Yahud, where it is believed John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ.
Pilgrim at holy site (Photo: Reuters)
Security arrangements for the day included massive deployment of forces and cooperation among the Civil Administration, Border Guard, Israel Police, and Public Parks Authority, Deri told Ynet.
"Dozens of police officers and security guard kept the peace along the day, while fences in the area underwent maintenance work, so that no pilgrims will wonder into minefields in the vicinity," he said.
Qasr al-Yahud is considered the third-holiest site in Christianity. Overall, about 3,000 pilgrims participated in the day's events, most of them tourists from Russia. However, some Palestinian Christians from the West Bank also arrived at the site.
At this time, the site is infrequently open to visitors, but Civil Administration officials hope that soon they will be able to offer regular visits.
