Jordan Signs $120 Million Agreements to Develop the Site of Christ's Baptism

The Al-Maghtas memorial, believed to be the site of Jesus's Baptism in 30 AD. Photo: UNESCO

The Jordanian government has signed four agreements on the development of the territory around the site of the Lord's Baptism, timed to coincide with the 2,000th anniversary of the event in 2030. This was reported by the American editorial office of the UOJ.

The documents were signed on August 12, 2026, at the government building in Amman, following the first session of the National Committee for the Preparation of the Celebration of the Second Millennium of the Lord's Baptism.

The committee is chaired by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan and includes Archbishop Christophoros of Kyriakoupolis from the Jerusalem Patriarchate. The projects will cover approximately 350 acres of land near the Baptism site: the construction of a Museum of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ at a cost of $50 million, a pilgrimage village for $40 million featuring a hotel, restaurants, shops, a church, and visitor infrastructure, as well as $27 million to be invested in infrastructure improvements and $3 million in a "green corridor" to protect biodiversity and pedestrian trails.

Preparatory work on the museum and pilgrimage village is planned to begin by the end of the first quarter of 2027, with main construction starting later that same year, and the projects are expected to be completed in the first half of 2029 — ahead of the 2030 celebrations. Jordanian officials stated that the initiative is aimed at preserving the religious and historical character of the site, strengthening Christian pilgrimage, and demonstrating Jordan's role in protecting Christian holy sites.

The Al-Maghtas site on the eastern bank of the Jordan River is traditionally identified as the place of the Baptism of Jesus Christ and is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

As the UOJ previously reported, on August 10, 2026, the National Committee for the Preparation of the Celebration of the 2,000th Anniversary of the Baptism of Jesus Christ held its first session in Jordan, where a pilgrimage development program through 2030 was discussed.

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