Tour de Dead Sea no. 5 - The special route

The moderns history of the northern part of the Dead Sea has been documented in personal writings, memory books, and word of mouth stories. Pioneers and settlers to the area were much more interested in learning the terrain and day to day life than in documenting their lives.
The special route of tour de dead sea no. 5 will give riders a rare opportunity to visit some of the most exciting sites at the northern part of the dead sea. Sites that opened the way modern settlements at the dead sea.
Special route riders will get to meet figures, events and sites from the region's history: the original "Beit Haarava", the land of monasteries, the king Abdullah bridge and the epiphany ceremony location.
The original "Beit Haarava" - Next to Abdullah bridge enterance and the Jordanian border.
The story of Kibbutz Beit Haarava, life in it and the spirit of its settlers effects settlers in the Dead Sea area till today, and is one of the most prominent examples of the intensity that the Zionist settlement movement have brought to the middle east.
Dozens of inexperienced young persons fought to and succeeded in fertilizing deserted salty land. Those people were members of Zionist youth movements and did so near the city of Jericho, on the bank of the Jordan river, in a remote and isolated area - not as soldiers under orders or as Employees who work for monthly wages. Beit Haarava is all made of human work and spirit, and for that reason has managed to excite many people back in the days when the first winter tomatoes were picked - an extraordinary agricultural achievement at the time.
When the original settlement was destroyed due to Israel's retreat to Sodom line, Beit Haarave settlers were torn from their home, leaving behind a lifetime's work.

The Land of Monasteries and the epiphany ceremony location
The Jordan River baptismal site is part of the pilgrimage route that begins in Jerusalem and Bethlehem and continues all the way down to the Dead Sea. This route also includes the "Good Samaritan" site, and the Qumran National Park - the place where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, and the place where John the Baptist apparently retired to dip his followers in the Jordan river.
Next to the baptismal site resides the Monastery of John the Baptist- also known as "Qasr al Yahud" (Palace of the Jews), which has been named so because of the magnificent structure, a name that is now used for the entire region.
The Jordan river southern baptism site is - according to Jewish tradition the place where the people of Israel crossed the Jordan River to enter the land of Canaan and where Elijah the prophet ascended into heaven. According to christian tradition - this is the place where Jesus got baptised by John the Baptist (Matthew, 3: 13-17).
The "Lazy river" has always been an important religious symbol for leaving nomadic life and settling in a permanent location. Its isolation and the mystical character that stuck to it attracted social leaders who challenged religious and governmental establishments. This wad true for Elijah the prophet, his student Elisha and John the baptist.
The New Testament indicates that this was when the spiritual birth of Jesus occurred - unlike the physical birth that took place in Beth Lehem. This is what makes this place to be the third holiest place in the world for Christians.
The Jordan River is regarded as holy mainly because of the baptism ceremony: Jesus' baptism was one of the most important occasions of his life, and baptism today is one of the most important ceremonies of the church.
During the 1980's, the Greek Patriarchy re-initiated those Epiphany ceremonies, which are traditionally held in two dates: Easter and the Epiphany (manifest) holiday.

The way from highway 90 to the baptism site and south, passes through what is known as "the monastery land", which is filled with monasteries dated back to the 4th century. When the rule in the Holy Land was Turkish rule - which was harder, these monasteries became sanctuary for pilgrims, but as soon as the Turkish rule in the holy land started supporting pilgrims, the monasteries were abandoned. During the British rule on the Holy Land - when personal security terms in the area got better - tourism to Jericho and the area started building up, and new monasteries were built.
Among the monasteries: the Franciscan convent, monastery Ethiopian, Coptic churches, Assyrian, Russian, Greek - Orthodox and more.
The Magnificent monasteries are abandoned and provide a surreal view. Some monasteries are open to them - John the Baptist monastery of Deir picturesque holiday, her guard inside the house rocks ancient city in the land of Benjamin (Joshua O 6), also specified in the sixth century Madaba map.

The king Abdullah bridge
The king Abdullah bridge was built by Hussain king of Jordan in memory of his grandfather who was murdered in Jerusalem because of the conciliatory policy he led towards young Israel. The bridge is designed to shorten and streamline the way from Amman to Jerusalem.
The bridge was blown up by Israeli soldiers during the Six - Day war to prevent movement of the Jordan Legion soldiers on both sides of the Jordan. The bridge stands in the same place today, not far from the "Beit Haarava" tomb of the brothers.
Jordanian Road signs pointing at the baptismal site still stand here today.
From the bridge - a route continues west and connects to "beit haarava" junction - next to where route 90 and highway no.1 connect. This is the main road connecting Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Amman, along the desert and the dead sea.