King of Jordan Donates Land Near the Site of Christ's Baptism to Serbian Church
King Abdullah II of Jordan has offered to gift the Serbian Orthodox Church land near Jesus’s baptism site, a gesture Patriarch Porfirije says will engrave the king’s name in gold in Serbian Church history.
AMMAN — On December 8, 2025, Patriarch Porfirije of the Serbian Orthodox Church visited Bethany Beyond the Jordan (Al-Maghtas), the site of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Jordan River.
According to a report from the UOJ's Ukraine bureau, he was accompanied by Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, the king’s advisor on religious and cultural affairs.
During the pilgrimage, the Patriarch walked the Trail of John the Baptist, visited the Hill of Prophet Elijah, the Spring of John the Forerunner, the traditional site of Elijah’s ascension, and ancient churches dating from the 5th–12th centuries.
While at the holy site, Prince Ghazi conveyed King Abdullah II’s wish to gift the Serbian Orthodox Church a plot of land in close proximity to the very place where Jesus Christ was baptized. In response, Patriarch Porfirije stated that through this gift, the king would inscribe his name in golden letters in the history of the Serbian Church.
Earlier this month, the UOJ reported on the Kingdom of Jordan's plan to invest $100 million on a global commemoration of the 2,000th anniversary of the theophany, which will occur in 2033.
