Yardenit, Baptism site near Sea of Galilee, Israel

Yardenit is a protected area on the banks of the Jordan River with stone pathways, wooden platforms, and designated sections arranged for religious ceremonies along the water. The site extends along the riverbank with multiple access points that allow visitors to reach the water's edge.

Christian tradition places Jesus' baptism at Qasr al-Yahud (Bethany Beyond the Jordan), north of the Dead Sea, where monasteries and guest houses served pilgrims for centuries. After the Six-Day War that area became a closed military zone on the Israel-Jordan border, so the Israeli Ministry of Tourism founded Yardenit in 1981 as an alternative. It was the only regulated baptism site on the Israeli side until Qasr al-Yahud reopened in 2011.

The site's name refers to the Jordan River, and it is owned and run by Kibbutz Kvutzat Kinneret. A wall of Armenian ceramic tiles by artist Hagop Antreasian displays the baptism of Jesus from the Gospel of Mark in more than 80 languages and dialects.

The site lies between the Degania and Alumot dams, just south of the Sea of Galilee outlet, next to Kibbutz Kvutzat Kinneret, which owns and runs it. It holds 12 separate baptismal pools, and capacity was doubled in 2012 to handle visitor numbers. Look for the "Wall of New Life", where Armenian ceramic tiles by artist Hagop Antreasian carry the baptism verses of Mark in over 80 languages.

The site's "Wall of New Life" displays hand-painted Armenian ceramic tiles by artist Hagop Antreasian, each bearing verses from the Gospel of Mark describing Jesus' baptism in more than 80 languages and dialects. The wall was created to mark the site's role as a gathering point for pilgrims from around the world.