Jordan River Cross Section
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Map of the Jordan River
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Joshua 4:23 - For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:
Mark 1:4-5 "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the River of Jordan, confessing their sins."
Jordan River in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE
6. The Zor:
In a direct line it is only 70 miles from Lake Galilee to the Dead
Sea, and this is the total length of the lower plain (the Zor); but
so numerous are the windings of the river across the flood plain
from one bluff to the other that the length of the river is fully
200 miles. Col. Lynch reported the occurrence of 27 rapids, which
wholly interrupted navigation, and many others which rendered it
difficult. The major part of the descent below Lake Galilee takes
place before reaching Damieh, 1,140 ft. below the Mediterranean.
While the bluffs of the Ghor upon either side of the Zor, are nearly
continuous and uniform below Damieh, above this point they are much
dissected by the erosion of tributary streams. Still, nearly
everywhere, an extended view brings to light the original uniform
level of the sedimentary deposits formed when the valley was filled
with water to a height of 650 ft. (see ARABAH; DEAD SEA).
The river itself averages about 100 ft. in width when confined
strictly within its channel, but in the early spring months the
flood plain of the Zor is completely overflowed, bringing into its
thickets a great amount of driftwood which increases the difficulty
of penetrating it, and temporarily drives out ferocious animals to
infest the neighboring country.
Full Article
Also see The Jordan Valley
Jordan River in Smith's Bible Dictionary
Jordan
(the descender), the one river of Palestine, has a course of
little more than 200 miles, from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the
head of the Dead Sea. (136 miles in a straight line. --Schaff.) It
is the river of the "great plain" of Palestine --the "descender," if
not "the river of God" in the book of Psalms, at least that of his
chosen people throughout their history. There were fords over
against Jericho, to which point the men of Jericho pursued the
spies. Jos 2:7 comp. Judg 3:28
Higher up where the fords or passages of Bethbarah, where
Gideon lay in wait for the Midianites, Jud 7:24 and where the men of
Gilead slew the Ephraimites. ch. Jud 12:6 These fords undoubtedly
witnessed the first recorded passage of the Jordan in the Old
Testament. Ge 32:10 Jordan was next crossed, over against Jericho,
by Joshua. Jos 4:12,13 From their vicinity to Jerusalem the lower
fords were much used. David, it is probable, passed over them in one
instance to fight the Syrians. 2Sa 10:17; 17:22 Thus there were two
customary places at which the Jordan was fordable; and it must have
been at one of these, if not at both, that baptism was afterward
administered by St. John and by the disciples of our Lord. Where our
Lord was baptized is not stated expressly, but it was probably at
the upper ford. These fords were rendered so much more precious in
those days from two circumstances. First, it does not appear that
there were then any bridges thrown over or boats regularly
established on the Jordan; and secondly, because "Jordan overflowed
all his banks all the time of harvest." Jos 3:15 The channel or bed
of the river became brimful, so that the level of the water and of
the banks was then the same. (Dr. Selah Merrill, in his book
"Galilee in the Time of Christ" (1881), says, "Near Tarichaea, just
below the point where the Jordan leaves the lake (of Galilee), there
was (in Christ's time) a splendid bridge across the river, supported
by ten piers." --ED.) The last feature which remains to be noticed
in the scriptural account of the Jordan is its frequent mention as a
boundary: "over Jordan," "this" and "the other side," or "beyond
Jordan," were expressions as familiar to the Israelites as "across
the water," "this" and "the other side of the Channel" are to
English ears. In one sense indeed, that is, in so far as it was the
eastern boundary of the land of Canaan, it was the eastern boundary
of the promised land. Nu 34:12 The Jordan rises from several sources
near Panium (Banias), and passes through the lakes of Merom (Huleh)
and Gennesaret. The two principal features in its course are its
descent and its windings. From its fountain heads to the Dead Sea it
rushes down one continuous inclined plane, only broken by a series
of rapids or precipitous falls. Between the Lake of Gennesaret and
the Dead Sea there are 27 rapids. The depression of the Lake of
Gennesaret below the level of the Mediterranean is 653 feet, and
that of the Dead Sea 1316 feet. (The whole descent from its source
to the Dead Sea is 3000 feet. Its width varies form 45 to 180 feet,
and it is from 3 to 12 feet deep. -Schaff.) Its sinuosity is not so
remarkable in the upper part of its course. The only tributaries to
the Jordan below Gennesaret are the Yarmuk (Hieromax) and the Zerka
(Jabbok). Not a single city ever crowned the banks of the Jordan.
Still Bethshan and Jericho to the west, Gerasa, Pella and Gadara to
the east of it were important cities, and caused a good deal of
traffic between the two opposite banks. The physical features of the
Ghor, through which the Jordan flows, are treated of under
PALESTINE. Full
Article
The Bible Mentions Much Concerning "Jordan" River
Judges 7:25 - And they
took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew
Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb,
and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon
on the other side Jordan.
Joshua
13:23 - And the border of the children of Reuben was
Jordan, and the border [thereof]. This [was] the inheritance
of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the
villages thereof.
Jeremiah
12:5 - If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have
wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and [if] in
the land of peace, [wherein] thou trustedst, [they wearied thee],
then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
Joshua
18:12 - And their border on the north side was from
Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the
north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the
goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Bethaven.
Joshua
22:25 - For the LORD hath made Jordan a border
between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad; ye
have no part in the LORD: so shall your children make our children
cease from fearing the LORD.
Numbers
35:14 - Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan,
and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, [which] shall
be cities of refuge.
Joshua 4:23
- For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan
from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did
to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone
over:
2 Kings 2:6
- And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD
hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, [As] the LORD
liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they
two went on.
1
Chronicles 19:17 - And it was told David; and he gathered
all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon
them, and set [the battle] in array against them. So when David had
put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.
Joshua 4:8
- And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up
twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD
spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the
children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place
where they lodged, and laid them down there.
1 Samuel
31:7 - And when the men of Israel that [were] on the other
side of the valley, and [they] that [were] on the other side
Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and
his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the
Philistines came and dwelt in them.
Joshua 4:10
- For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of
Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD
commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that
Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over.
Joshua
22:11 - And the children of Israel heard say, Behold, the
children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of
Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan, in the
borders of Jordan, at the passage of the children of
Israel.
Joshua 12:7
- And these [are] the kings of the country which Joshua and the
children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the
west, from Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the mount
Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of
Israel [for] a possession according to their divisions;
Ezekiel
47:18 - And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and
from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel [by]
Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And [this is]
the east side.
Joshua 1:15
- Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as [he hath given]
you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God
giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession,
and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD'S servant gave you on this side
Jordan toward the sunrising.
Joshua 3:14
- And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to
pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of
the covenant before the people;
Psalms
114:5 - What [ailed] thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest?
thou Jordan, [that] thou wast driven back?
Joshua 18:7
- But the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the
LORD [is] their inheritance: and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe
of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan
on the east, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.
Joshua
19:34 - And [then] the coast turneth westward to Aznothtabor,
and goeth out from thence to Hukkok, and reacheth to Zebulun on the
south side, and reacheth to Asher on the west side, and to Judah
upon Jordan toward the sunrising.
Joshua 22:7
- Now to the [one] half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given
[possession] in Bashan: but unto the [other] half thereof gave
Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan
westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then
he blessed them,
Numbers
32:29 - And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and
the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan,
every man armed to battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be
subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a
possession:
Deuteronomy 3:27 - Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and
lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and
eastward, and behold [it] with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go
over this Jordan.
Deuteronomy 12:10 - But [when] ye go over Jordan,
and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit,
and [when] he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so
that ye dwell in safety;
Joshua 13:8
- With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their
inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan
eastward, [even] as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them;
Zechariah 11:3 - [There is] a voice of the howling of the
shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of
young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.
Joshua 1:11
- Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you
victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan,
to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to
possess it.
Judges 10:8
- And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel:
eighteen years, all the children of Israel that [were] on the other
side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which [is] in
Gilead.
Deuteronomy 27:2 - And it shall be on the day when ye shall
pass over Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God
giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaister
them with plaister:
Joshua
18:19 - And the border passed along to the side of
Bethhoglah northward: and the outgoings of the border were at the
north bay of the salt sea at the south end of Jordan:
this [was] the south coast.