UNESCO Backs Jordan as Jesus' Baptism Site as Debate Goes on

For years, Christian pilgrims have waded into the Jordan River from both its eastern and western banks to connect with a core event of their faith - the baptism of Jesus. The parallel traditions allowed Jordan and Israel to compete for tourism dollars in marketing one of Christianity's most important sites. But now UNESCO has weighed in on the rivalry, designating Jordan's baptismal area on the eastern bank a World Heritage site. The U.N. cultural agency declared this month that...

© La Voix de l'Amérique - lundi 13 juillet 2015