BACK TO THE HOLY LAND

Abstract

In 2022, in the Kingdom of Jordan, at the mouth of the Jordan River, where Jesus Christ was baptized, Georgia was given 4 thousand square meters. meter plot of land, where the Georgian Culture Center will be built in the near future. The transfer of land to Georgia, adjacent to the Jordan River, is an expression of goodwill from His Majesty King Abdullah II, Prince Ghazi, as well as Archbishop Christophoros of Amman and Patriarch Theophilus of Jerusalem. In the perspective of Georgia and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, there are much more prospects for cooperation than it seems at first glance, and the deepening of this cooperation is beneficial and beneficial for both sides. The first steps of this partnership have already been taken, a memorial stele was erected on the plot of land transferred to Georgia near the place of the Epiphany near the Jordan River. The Prime Minister of Georgia awarded the highest award “Order of the Golden Fleece” to the King of Jordan. Prince Ghazi and the Archbishop of Amman were actively involved in the events organized during the visit of the Prime Minister of Georgia to Jordan. Historical sources confirm that the Georgians founded spiritual centers in the holy land since the fifth century. The first and foremost among them is the Georgian theologian and philosopher Petre Iber, Bishop of Mayumi, founder of the Georgian monastic school in the Holy Land. It is not surprising that the earliest Georgian inscription, was also found on holy ground. In the era of the late Middle Ages, the impoverished and ruined Georgian kings and princes had difficulty directing the necessary funds for the normal functioning of churches and monasteries in the holy land. “Therefore, Georgians from Jerusalem were gradually forced to pledge the property of monasteries and churches.” As a result of the conquest of Georgia by Russia and the abolition of the Georgian Apostolic Church in the 19th century, the existence of Georgian spiritual centers in the Holy Land became impossible. Only today, in 2022, through the efforts of the Georgian government and the goodwill of the Jordanian royal family, it became possible to transfer to Georgia a piece of land on holy land, near the Jordan River, where, according to tradition, the Savior was baptized. In connection with the tradition of epiphanies on the Jordan River, the most interesting and important is the holy place of Al-Mahtas. The territory that is located in the territory of the Kingdom of Jordan. Al-Mahtas has been associated with the place of baptism of Jesus Christ since the late Roman-Adrebyzantine era (IV-VI centuries). The facility is located east of the Jordan River, close to the ancient road to Jerusalem and Transjordan. In Al-Mahtas, in 1996, an international team of scientists discovered the original baptismal site of the Savior. This area, as we mentioned, is not far from the place where the Jordan flows into the Dead Sea, it is located in the Bethany Valley, in the village of Wadi al-Harar. The place of baptism of Jesus Christ was located forty meters to the east of the current bed of the Jordan River. The reason for this was the change in the course of the Jordan River in the 5th century and the cutting of a new bed. “Georgian Holy Land” is already located in the vicinity of this place. Georgia-Jordan rapprochement is related to the “Holy Land”, which will become more versatile in the future, the prospects of this partnership are clear considering the resources of the two countries and other domestic and foreign parameters. Georgian-Jordanian bilateral cooperation is quite realistic and feasible in the near future and a project bringing benefits to both sides. So, by returning to the “holy land”, Georgia acquired a necessary prospective partner in the form of Jordan along with Christian holiness.