Christian worshippers and visitors performed a baptism ceremony on the banks of the Jordan River on Sunday to celebrate Epiphany, the revelation of Jesus Christ as God incarnate according to Christian tradition.
Christians from around the world gathered at Qasr al-Yahud, a site on the Israeli side of the Jordan River built on the spot where Jesus is believed to have been baptized.
The site opened in 2011 and has stairs for pilgrims to descend into the muddy river.
The surrounding of three out of seven churches near Qasr al-Yahud - belonging to the Franciscan, Greek Orthodox and Ethiopian orders - have been recently cleared of mines by Israeli authorities, but they have yet to be formally opened to the clergy or the public.
