Editing Jordan River

{{Short description|River that flows to the Dead Sea}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{About|the river in the Levant|other rivers|Jordan River (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|The Jordan|other uses|Jordan (disambiguation)}}
{{Pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Infobox river
| name               = Jordan River
| native_name        = {{native name list |tag1=ar |name1=نهر الأردن |tag2=ar-Latn |name2=Nahr al-Urdun  |tag3=he |name3= נהר הירדן |tag4=he-Latn |name4=Nehar ha-Yarden  |tag5=ar |name5=نهر الشريعة |tag6=ar-Latn |name6=Al Sharieat |tag7=syc |name7=ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ }}
| native_name_lang   = 
| name_other         =
| name_etymology     = 
<!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP -->
| image              = 20100923 mer morte13.JPG
| image_size         = 
| image_caption      = Jordan River
| map                = JordanRiver en.svg
| map_size           = 
| map_caption        = The Jordan River runs along the border between Jordan, the Palestinian West Bank, Israel and southwestern Syria.
| pushpin_map        = 
| pushpin_map_size   = 
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| mapframe           = yes
| mapframe-zoom      = 6
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[Jordan]], [[Israel]], [[Syria]], [[Israeli-occupied territories|Israeli-occupied]] [[Palestinian territories|Palestinian territory]] of [[West Bank]]
| subdivision_type2  = 
| subdivision_name2  = 
| subdivision_type3  = Region
| subdivision_name3  = [[Middle East]], Eastern Mediterranean litoral
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name4  = 
| subdivision_type5  = 
| subdivision_name5  = 
<!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS -->
| length             = {{convert|251|km|mi|abbr=on}} 
| discharge1_location= [[Dead Sea]], Jordan Rift Valley
<!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES -->
| source1            = Confluence of [[Hasbani River]] and [[Dan River (Middle East)|Dan River]]
| source1_location   = [[Sde Nehemia]] kibbutz in northern [[Israel]]
| source1_coordinates = {{Coord|33|11|15|N|35|37|10|E|display=title,inline|region:IL_type:river_source:dewiki}}
| source1_elevation   = {{convert|70|m|abbr=on}}
| mouth              = [[Dead Sea]]
| mouth_elevation    = {{convert|−416|m|abbr=on}}
| basin_size         = 
| tributaries_left   = [[Banias|Banias River]], [[Dan River (Middle East)|Dan River]], [[Yarmouk River]], [[Zarqa River]]
| tributaries_right  = [[Hasbani River|Hasbani or Snir River]], [[Nahal Ayun|Iyyon Stream]]
| extra              = 
}}

The '''Jordan River''' or '''River Jordan''' ({{langx|ar|نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ}}, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn''; {{langx|he|נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן}}, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Sharieat'' ({{langx|ar| نهر الشريعة}}), is a {{convert|251|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} [[endorheic basin|endorheic]] [[river]] in the [[Levant]] that flows roughly north to south through the [[Sea of Galilee]] and drains to the [[Dead Sea]]. The river passes by or through [[Jordan]], [[Syria]], [[Israel]], and the [[Palestinian territories]].

Jordan and the [[Israeli occupied territories|Israeli-occupied]] [[Golan Heights]] border the river to the east, while Israel and the Israeli-occupied [[West Bank]] lie to its west. Both Jordan and the West Bank derive their names in relation to the river. The river holds major significance in [[Judaism]] and [[Christianity]]. According to the [[Bible]], the Israelites crossed it into the [[Promised Land]] and [[Jesus|Jesus of Nazareth]] [[Baptism of Jesus|was baptized]] by [[John the Baptist]] in it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.interfaithsustain.com/an-interfaith-look-at-the-jordan-river/|title=An Interfaith Look at the Jordan River|date=25 July 2013 |access-date=16 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418195919/http://www.interfaithsustain.com/an-interfaith-look-at-the-jordan-river/|archive-date=18 April 2017}}</ref>

==Etymology==
Several hypotheses for the origin of most of the river's names in modern languages (e.g., Jordan, Yarden, Urdunn), one is that it comes from Semitic 'Yard|on' 'flow down' <√ירד reflecting the river's declivity, possibly appearing also in other river names in the region such as [[Yarkon River|Yarkon]] and  [[Yarmouk River|Yarmouk]], or it may be related to the [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] loanword  'yǝʾor' ('big river',  the [[Nile]]).<ref name="rahkonen">{{cite journal |last1=Rahkonen |first1=Pauli Ensio Juhani |title="Canaanites" or "Amorites"? A Study on Semitic toponyms of the second millennium BC in the Land of Canaan |journal=Studia Orientalia Electronica |date=11 October 2016 |volume=4 |pages=108–130 |url=https://journal.fi/store/article/view/46542 |language=en |issn=2323-5209 |access-date=25 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180725183831/https://journal.fi/store/article/view/46542 |archive-date=25 July 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to this hypothesis, "Den" might be linked to the [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] word [[Dan (cuneiform)|dannum]] for "powerful".<ref>Gelb, I. J. (1973). Glossary of Old Akkadian. University of Chicago Press.</ref>  Cognates of the word are found in [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]], [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], [[Mandaic language|Mandaic]], and other [[Semitic languages]].<ref name="etm1">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=goq0VWw9rGIC|title=Mercer Dictionary of the Bible|access-date=15 June 2018|year=1990|pages=466–467, 928|first1=Watson E.|last1=Mills|first2=Roger Aubrey|last2=Bullard|publisher=Mercer University Press|isbn=978-0-86554-373-7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018095243/https://books.google.com/books?id=goq0VWw9rGIC|archive-date=18 October 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The first recorded use of the name appears as ''Yārdon'' in [[Papyrus Anastasi I|Anastasi I]], an ancient Egyptian [[papyrus]] that probably dates to the time of [[Rameses II]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dGFtAAAAMAAJ|title=Canaanite toponyms in ancient Egyptian documents|access-date=15 June 2018|year=1984|first1=Shmuel|last1=Aḥituv|publisher=Magnes Press|page=123|isbn=978-965-223-565-7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018095621/https://books.google.com/books/about/Canaanite_toponyms_in_ancient_Egyptian_d.html?id=dGFtAAAAMAAJ|archive-date=18 October 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Early Arab chronicles referred to the river as ''Al-Urdunn''.<ref name="etm2">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/palestineundermo00lest|title=Palestine Under the Moslems: A Description of Syria and the Holy Land from A. D. 650 To 1500|page=[https://archive.org/details/palestineundermo00lest/page/52 52]|publisher=Alexander P. Watt for the Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund|first=Guy|last=Le Strange|date=1890|access-date=15 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101005052930/http://www.archive.org/details/palestineundermo00lest|archive-date=2010-10-05|url-status=live}}</ref>

In [[Mandaic language|Mandaic]], the etymologically related term ''[[yardna|Yardena]]'' ({{langx|myz|ࡉࡀࡓࡃࡍࡀ}}) can refer not only to the Jordan River, but also any other body of flowing water that can be used for Mandaean baptismal rituals (''[[masbuta]]'').<ref name="Buckley 2002">{{cite book|last=Buckley|first=Jorunn Jacobsen|title=The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people|publisher=Oxford University Press|publication-place=New York|year=2002|isbn=978-0-19-515385-9|oclc=65198443}}</ref>

After the [[Crusades]], the Arabic name ''Nahr Al Sharieat'' ({{langx|ar| نهر الشريعة}}), literally "the watering place" began to be used,<ref name="etm2"/> and was recorded by medieval geographers such as [[Abu'l-Fida]] and [[Al-Dimashqi (geographer)|Al-Dimashqi]].<ref name="etm2"/> The name was shown in various forms on most [[Cartography of Palestine#Notable 19th century maps|notable 19th century maps of the region]] and is described by [[Edward Robinson (scholar)|Edward Robinson]] in his ''[[Biblical Researches in Palestine]]''.<ref>Robinson, p.[https://archive.org/details/biblicalresearc00smitgoog/page/n279/mode/1up 257]</ref><ref>Palmer, 1881, p. [https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp00conduoft#page/167/mode/1up 167] (= SWP map 9): ''Esh Sheriah'': The watering-place. This is the modern title of Jordan. The root means also to ´flow straight on or through: Palmer, 1881, p. [https://archive.org/stream/surveyofwesternp00conduoft#page/350/mode/1up 350] (= SWP map 18): ''Esh Sheriah'': The watering-place.  The Jordan. In literary Arabic it is called ''Urdunna''.</ref> Although historical sources do not appear to make this distinction, it is described in some modern sources as the name for the part of the river before it flows into the Sea of Galilee.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Development of the Jordan River|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8_dQAQAAMAAJ|year=1961|publisher=Arab Information Center|page=2|quote=The River is composed of two important sections, the al-Sharea and the Jordan. The al-Sharea River, which is the name of the Jordan before it enters Lake Tiberias, descends from a height of 230 feet above sea level to Tiberias|access-date=2020-03-01|archive-date=2023-11-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114203010/https://books.google.com/books?id=8_dQAQAAMAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Geography==
===Sources===
The [[Dan River (Middle East)|Dan]] and [[Hasbani River|Hasbani]] rivers merge near the kibbutz [[Sde Nehemia]] in northern Israel and become the Jordan river. The  Hasbani (Arabic: الحاصباني ''Hasbani'', Hebrew: either שניר ''Snir'' or ''Hatzbani'') is a stream which flows from the north-western foot of [[Mount Hermon]] in [[Lebanon]],<ref>{{Cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=rhAzDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT260 |title= Essays in Political Geography |publisher= Routledge |year= 2016 |isbn= 978-1-317-60528-7 |page= 260 |access-date=2019-01-17 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200102035947/https://books.google.com/books?id=rhAzDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT260 |archive-date= 2020-01-02 |url-status= live}}</ref><ref name="AFIAL2012">{{cite web |author= Mark Zeitoun |author2= Karim Eid-Sabbagh |author3= Muna Dajani |author4= Michael Talhami |title= Hydro-political Baseline of the Upper Jordan River |pages= 19–23, chapter ''Sources of the Jordan'' (2.1) |publisher= Association of the Friends of Ibrahim Abd el Al (AFIAL) with the [[University of East Anglia|UEA]] Water Security Research Centre |location= Beirut |year= 2012 |url= https://www.uea.ac.uk/documents/439774/1029261/UJR+Hydropol+Baseline+-+Main+lo-res+%282012%29.pdf/28ae7dc7-e16f-45a4-95a1-d285edbfc528 |access-date= 18 April 2020 |archive-date= 6 August 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200806222705/https://www.uea.ac.uk/documents/439774/1029261/UJR+Hydropol+Baseline+-+Main+lo-res+%282012%29.pdf/28ae7dc7-e16f-45a4-95a1-d285edbfc528 |url-status= live }}</ref> with a flow of 118 million m<sup>3</sup> annually.<ref name="rimmer2006" />  The [[Nahal Ayun|Iyyon]] (Hebrew: עיון ''Iyyon'', Arabic name: Ajoun stream,<ref name="AFIAL2012" /> but دردره ''Dardara'' for the uppermost course and براغيث ''Bareighith'' or ''Beregeith'' for the rest of its course) is a stream which flows from [[Marjeyoun District|Merj 'Ayun area]] in southern Lebanon into the Hasbani.

The Dan (Arabic: اللدان ''Leddan'' or ''Liddan'', Hebrew: דן ''Dan'') is  the largest among the Jordan's upper course tributaries with c. 240-252 million cubic metres per year.<ref name="AFIAL2012" /><ref name="rimmer2006" /> The [[Banias River|Banias]] (Arabic: بانياس ''Banias'', Hebrew: either ''Banias'' or חרמון ''Hermon'')<ref name="carta">[http://carta-jerusalem.com/biblical-sites/jordan-river/ Jordan River] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806211815/http://carta-jerusalem.com/biblical-sites/jordan-river/|date=2020-08-06}}, Carta Jerusalem, accessed 82020</ref><ref name="AFIAL2012" />  is a stream arising from a spring at [[Banias]] at the foot of Mount Hermon, with a flow of 106 million m<sup>3</sup> annually.<ref name="rimmer2006">{{cite journal |first1= Alon |last1= Rimmer |first21= Yigal |last2= Salingar |title= Modelling precipitation-streamflow processes in karst basin: The case of the Jordan River sources, Israel |journal=[[Journal of Hydrology]] |year= 2006 |volume= 331 |issue= 3–4 |pages= 527–528 |url= http://micro5.mscc.huji.ac.il/~geo/physicalgeo/Alon%20Rimer/Springs%20Model%20JH%20331%203-4.pdf |access-date=20 July 2011 |editor1-first=R. |editor1-last= Krzysztofowicz |publisher=[[Elsevier]] |doi= 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2006.06.003 |bibcode= 2006JHyd..331..524R |quote= Rainfall and snowmelt of Mt. Hermon recharge the main tributaries of the UCJR: (1) Dan (252 x 10<sup>6</sup> m<sup>3</sup> annually); (2) Snir also known as Hatzbani (118 x 10<sup>6</sup> m<sup>3</sup>); and (3) Hermon also known as Banias (106 x 10<sup>6</sup> m<sup>3</sup>) (Table 2 and Fig. 2). |issn=0022-1694}}{{dead link|date=April 2020}}</ref>  It flows into the Dan along with the Nahal Sion or Nahal Assal (Hebrew) / Wadi el-'Asl or Assal (Arabic).<ref name="AFIAL2012" /><ref>Zeitoun, Mark ''et al.'' (2012), p.36</ref>

=== Upper course (Hula Valley) ===
[[File:Map of The River Jordan. 1871.jpg|thumb|1871 Map of the Jordan river.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=William |last2=Barnum |first2=Samuel Weed |title=A comprehensive dictionary of the Bible |date=1871 |publisher=D. Appleton and company |location=New York/London |page=495}}</ref>   Note in particular Lake Hula which was later drained.]]
The Jordan River has an upper course from its sources to the Sea of Galilee (via the [[Bethsaida Valley]]) and a lower course south of the Sea of Galilee down to the [[Dead Sea]]. In traditional terminology, the upper course (or most of it) is commonly referred to as passing through the "[[Hula Valley]]", as opposed to "Upper Jordan Valley"; the Sea of Galilee through which the river passes is a separate entity, and the term [[Jordan Valley (Middle East)|Jordan Valley]] is reserved for the lower course.

Over its upper course (fed by the Hasbani River, Banias River, Dan River, and the Iyyon Stream), the river drops rapidly in a {{convert|75|km|adj=on}} run to the once large and swampy Lake Hula, which is slightly above [[sea level]]. Exiting the now much-diminished lake, it goes through an even steeper drop over the {{convert|25|km}} down to the Sea of Galilee, which it enters at its northern end. The Jordan deposits much of the silt it is carrying within the lake, which it leaves again near its southern tip at [[Degania Dam]]. 

Its section north of the Sea of Galilee is within the boundaries of Israel and forms the western boundary of the [[Golan Heights]]. South of the lake, it forms the border between the Kingdom of Jordan (to the east), and Israel (to the west).

===Lower course===
[[File:The Jordan River loops, aerial view 1938.jpg|thumb|Aerial view, 1938]]

South of the Sea of Galilee, the river is situated about 210 metres below sea level. The last {{convert|120|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} section follows what is commonly termed the "Jordan Valley", which has less [[stream gradient|gradient]] (the total drop is another 210 metres) so that the river [[meander]]s before entering the Dead Sea, a [[Endorheic basin|terminal lake]] about 422 metres below sea level with no outlet. The river is fed by two major [[Tributary|tributaries]], the [[Yarmuk (river)|Yarmouk]] and [[Zarqa River|Zarqa]]. The Yarmouk, the largest tributary of the lower course, forms the border between Syria and Jordan and then Jordan and Israel.<ref name="FAO2009">The [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] (FAO)] of the [[United Nations]], [http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/basins/jordan/print1.stm ''Jordan Basin''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804052454/http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/basins/jordan/print1.stm |date=2020-08-04 }}, based on 2009 "Water Report 34", accessed 18 April 2020</ref><ref name="Gafny">Gafny, S. ''et al.'' (2010), [https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-the-Lower-Jordan-River-survey-sites-and-reference-sites-Site-1-Gesher-Jisr-Al_fig2_281289496 Map of the Lower Jordan River] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210705141016/https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-the-Lower-Jordan-River-survey-sites-and-reference-sites-Site-1-Gesher-Jisr-Al_fig2_281289496 |date=5 July 2021 }}, retrieved 14 April 2020</ref> 

Smaller tributaries or "side wadis" / "side streams" in this segment are, north to south<ref name=FAO2009/>
* from the east (6–10 in total)<ref name=FAO2009/>
** Wadi al-'Arab<ref name=Gafny/>
** Wadi Ziqlab<ref name=Gafny/>
** [[Chorath|Wadi al-Yabis]]<ref name=Gafny/>
** [[Wadi Kafranja]]<ref name=Gafny/> or Kufrinjah passing near [[Ajloun]]
** Wadi Rajib, the last before Wadi Zarqa<ref name=Gafny/>
** [[Wadi Nimrin]]<ref name=Gafny/>
* from the west
** Nahal Yavne'el<ref name=Gafny/>
** Nahal Tavor (Tabor Stream)<ref name=Gafny/>
** Nahal Yissakhar<ref name=Gafny/>
** [[Nahal Harod]]<ref name=Gafny/>
** Nahal Bezeq, on the border between Israel and the West Bank, between [[Mount Gilboa]] and the [[Samaria]] Mountains<ref name=Gafny/>
** [[Wadi el Maleh]] from the Samaria Mountains<ref name=Gafny/>
** [[Wadi al-Far'a (river)|Wadi al-Far'a]] coming from the [[Nablus]] area<ref name=Gafny/>
** [[Wadi Auja]]<ref name=Gafny/> (Arabic) or Nahal Yitav (Hebrew)
** [[Wadi Qelt]] coming down from the [[Judean mountains]] and passing through [[Jericho]]<ref name=Gafny/>

==History==
In the 19th century the River Jordan and the Dead Sea were explored by boat primarily by [[Christopher Costigan]] in 1835, [[Thomas Howard Molyneux]] in 1847, [[William Francis Lynch]] in 1848, and [[John MacGregor (sportsman)|John MacGregor]] in 1869.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deadsea.com/history/|title=History of the Dead Sea - Discover the Dead Sea with Us!|date=1 July 2016|access-date=16 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160620102208/http://www.deadsea.com/history/|archive-date=20 June 2016}}</ref> The full text of W. F. Lynch's 1849 book ''[[s:Narrative Of The United States Expedition To The River Jordan And The Dead Sea|Narrative of the United States' Expedition to the River Jordan and the Dead Sea]]'' is available online.[[File:Abbud24C.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Coloured postcard of the Jordan River, by [[Karimeh Abbud]], circa 1925]]
In 1964, Israel began operating a pumping station that diverts water from the Sea of Galilee to the [[National Water Carrier of Israel|National Water Carrier]]. Also in 1964, Jordan constructed a [[Channel (geography)|channel]] that diverted water from the Yarmouk to the [[King Abdullah Canal|East Ghor Canal]]. Syria has also built reservoirs that catch the Yarmouk's waters. Environmentalists blame Israel, Jordan and Syria for extensive damage to the Jordan River ecosystem.<ref name="Plushnick-Masti">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/10/AR2006091001354.html|title=Raw Sewage Taints Sacred Jordan River|last=Plushnick-Masti|first=Ramil|date=10 September 2006|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=10 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111151807/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/10/AR2006091001354.html|archive-date=11 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Environment ==

=== Ecology ===
The Jordan River basin has a unique [[Fish|ichthyofauna]] as it serves as the meeting point for several different biogeographic regions, including the northern [[Palearctic realm|Palearctic]], the [[Afrotropical realm|Afrotropics]], [[East Asia|East]] & [[South Asia]], and the [[Mediterranean Basin|Mediterranean]]. Native fish include [[Cyprinidae|cyprinids]] such as the [[Acanthobrama lissneri|Jordan bream]] (''Achanthobrama lissneri''), [[Jordan himri]] (''Carasobarbus canis''), [[Jordan barbel]] (''Luciobarbus longiceps''), [[Capoeta damascina|Levantine scraper]] (''Capoeta damascina''; the most common native fish in the basin), [[red garra]] (''Garra rufa''), & [[Garra nana|Damascus garra]] (''Garra nana''), [[hillstream loach]]es such as the [[Oxynoemacheilus insignis|Palestine loach]] (''Oxynoemacheilus insignis''), [[catfish]] such as the [[Clarias gariepinus|African sharptooth catfish]] (''Clarias gariepinus''), [[cichlid]]s such as the [[Oreochromis aureus|blue tilapia]] (''Oreochromis aureus''), [[redbelly tilapia]] (''Coptodon zillii''), & [[mango tilapia]] (''Sarotherodon galilaeus''), and [[Blenniiformes|blennies]] such as the [[freshwater blenny]] (''Salariopsis fluviatilis''). The Jordan bream and Jordan barbel are thought to be [[Endemism|endemic]] to the Jordan River basin. The Jordan basin may have also served as the center of diversification for several now-widespread Palearctic fish groups.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Hamidan |first=Nashat |date=October 2004 |title=The freshwater fish fauna of Jordan |url=https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/DENISIA_0014_0385-0394.pdf |journal=Reise Durch die Natur Jordaniens |volume=17 |pages=385–394}}</ref>

A native freshwater reptile is the [[Balkan terrapin]] (''Mauremys rivulata''), which is thought to have also been a food source for the earliest [[Neanderthal]] residents of the region.<ref>{{Cite news |title=On the Banks of the Jordan River, Neanderthals Ate Turtles 60,000 Years Ago |language=en |work=Haaretz |url=https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2017-07-25/ty-article-magazine/neanderthals-ate-turtles-60-000-years-ago-in-israel/0000017f-efa2-d497-a1ff-efa2188a0000 |access-date=2023-12-07}}</ref>

Several introduced species of fish are known from the region, including [[Eurasian carp|common carp]] (''Cyprinus carpio''), [[grass carp]] (''Ctenopharyngodon idella''), [[black carp]] (''Hypophthalmichthys molitrix''), [[rainbow trout]] (''Oncorhynchus mykiss''), [[Nile tilapia]] (''Oreochromis niloticus''), and [[Flathead grey mullet|sea mullet]] (''Mugil cephalus''). Many of these introduced fish either prey on or outcompete native fish and threaten their populations, especially the more endangered species.<ref name=":0" />

=== Flow ===
In modern times, up to 95% of the water is diverted for human purposes,<ref>{{Cite web |title=GNF - Rehabilitation Projekt Jordan River |url=https://www.globalnature.org/34983/Themes-Projects/Living-Lakes-Water/References/Rehabilitation-Jordan/resindex.aspx |access-date=2024-06-03 |website=www.globalnature.org}}</ref> and the flow is less than 10% of the past average.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Herman |first=Jonnea |date=2020-12-14 |title=Coping with Water Scarcity in the Jordan River Basin |url=https://tcf.org/content/report/coping-water-scarcity-jordan-river-basin/ |access-date=2024-06-03 |website=The Century Foundation |language=en}}</ref> Because of this and the high evaporation rate of the Dead Sea, as well as industrial extraction of salts through evaporation ponds, the Dead Sea is rapidly shrinking.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}} The flow rate of the Jordan River once was 1.3 billion cubic metres per year; as of 2010, just 20 to 30 million cubic metres per year flow into the Dead Sea.<ref name="dry">{{cite web |url= http://www.physorg.com/news192044027.html |title= Jordan River could die by 2011: report |access-date= 16 January 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110926205304/http://www.physorg.com/news192044027.html |archive-date= 26 September 2011 |url-status= live }}</ref>

=== Pollution ===
A small section of the northernmost portion of the Lower Jordan, the first ca. {{convert|3|km|adj=on}} below the Sea of Galilee, has been kept pristine for baptism and local tourism. Most polluted is the 100-kilometre downstream stretch—a meandering stream from above the confluence with the Yarmouk to the Dead Sea. Environmentalists say the practice of letting sewage and brackish water flow into the river has almost destroyed its ecosystem. Rescuing the Jordan could take decades, according to environmentalists.<ref name="Plushnick-Masti" /> In 2007, [[EcoPeace Middle East|FoEME]] named the Jordan River as one of the world's 100 most endangered ecological sites, due in part to lack of cooperation between Israel and neighboring Arab states.<ref>"Endangered Jordan", ''Dateline World Jewry'', [[World Jewish Congress]], September, 2007</ref>

== Roads, border crossings, bridges ==
[[File:RAFTING ON THE JORDAN RIVER.jpg|thumb|Rafting on Jordan River, northern Galilee]]

===Roads===
[[Highway 90 (Israel–Palestine)|Route 90]], part of which is named after [[Rehavam Zeevi]], connects the northern and southern tips of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and parallels the Jordan River on the western side.

===Border crossings (open bridges)===
There are two border crossings between Israel and Jordan which cross the river over bridges. The northern one, [[Jordan River Crossing|Jordan River Crossing or Sheikh Hussein Bridge]] is near [[Beit She'an]]; the southern one, [[Allenby Bridge]] (also King Hussein Bridge), is near [[Jericho]].

===Bridges (historical; modern: open and closed)===
North to south:
* [[Daughters of Jacob Bridge]] ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: Gesher Bnot Ya'akov, "Daughters of Jacob Bridge") is the most famous one within Israel
* [[Arik Bridge]] at the northern end of the Sea of Galilee; allows access to the central Golan Heights, was crucial in the [[Six-Day War|1967]] and [[Yom Kippur War|1973 wars]]
* [[Al-Sinnabra]], at the spot where the river used to exit the Sea of Galilee in the past; few remains excavated by archaeologists
* [[Jisr el-Majami']] north of [[Beit She'an|Beit She'an/Beisan]]; closed
* [[Damia Bridge|Damiya or Adam Bridge]] halfway between Jericho and Beit She'an; closed
* [[King Abdullah Bridge]] south of the Allenby Bridge; closed.

==Importance as a water source==
[[File:Jordan River - Dead Sea.png|thumb|River Jordan draining into the [[Dead Sea]]]]

Until the first decade of the 21st century, the waters of the Jordan River had been the largest water resource for Israel; lately, [[Desalination|desalinated]] sea water from the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] has taken over this role. Israel's National Water Carrier, completed in 1964, has delivered water from the Sea of Galilee to the Israeli coastal plain for over four decades, until prolonged drought led to abandoning this solution in favour of desalination.

Jordan receives {{convert|50,000,000|m3}} of water from the river, a quantity which is regulated by the 1994 [[Israel–Jordan peace treaty|peace treaty]] with Israel.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Susskind|first=Lawrence|author2=Shafiqul Islam|title=Water Diplomacy: Creating Value and Building Trust in Transboundary Water Negotiations|journal=Science & Diplomacy|year=2012|volume=1|issue=3|url=http://www.sciencediplomacy.org/perspective/2012/water-diplomacy|access-date=2015-11-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151129073114/http://www.sciencediplomacy.org/perspective/2012/water-diplomacy|archive-date=2015-11-29}}</ref> In the past, one of the main water resources in Jordan was the Jordan River, with a flow of 1.3 billion m<sup>3</sup> per year (BCM/yr). However, after Israel built the National Water Carrier in 1953 and diverted water from the Sea of Galilee to Israel's coastal plains and southern desert, the flow of the Lower Jordan River dropped significantly. The 50 MCM/yr that Israel provides from the Sea of Galilee as part of the 1994 peace treaty was meant to compensate for this loss. A 2010 study found that the Lower Jordan River has been reduced to 2% of its historic flow.<ref>{{cite web |last1= Gafny |first1= Sarig |last2= Talozi |first2= Samer |last3= Al Sheikh |first3= Banan |last4= Ya'ari |first4= Elizabeth |title= Towards a Living Jordan River: An Environmental Flows Report on the Rehabilitation of the Lower Jordan River |url= http://ecopeaceme.org/uploads/publications_publ117_1.pdf |publisher= EcoPeace / Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) |website= ecopeaceme.org |date= May 2010 |access-date= 2018-12-20 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220230732/http://ecopeaceme.org/uploads/publications_publ117_1.pdf |archive-date= 2018-12-20  }}</ref> Water quality has also deteriorated sharply, with high levels of salinity and pollution from agricultural fertilizer and untreated wastewater upstream in Israel and the West Bank.<ref>{{cite web|title=Surface and Groundwater of Jordan|url=https://water.fanack.com/jordan/water-resources/surface-and-groundwater/|website=Fanack Water|publisher=Fanack Water of the Middle East and North Africa|access-date=2018-03-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311210155/https://water.fanack.com/jordan/water-resources/surface-and-groundwater/|archive-date=2018-03-11}}</ref>

Conflict about the waters of the Jordan River was a contributing factor to the [[Origins of the Six-Day War#Water dispute|Six-Day War]] when, starting in 1965, Syria attempted to divert some of its headwaters in collaboration with Lebanon and Jordan.<ref name=mehr>Mehr, Farhang, "The politics of water," in Antonino Zichichi, Richard C. Ragaini, eds., ''International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies'', 30th session, Erice, Italy, 18–26 August 2003, Ettore Majorana International Centre for Scientific Culture, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pie. Ltd., 2004, p. 258, 259</ref> The diversion works would have reduced the water availability for Israel's carrier by about 35%, and Israel's overall water supply by about 11%.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Murakami |year=1995 |url=http://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/80858e/80858E0m.htm |title=Appendix C: Historical review of the political riparian issues in the development of the Jordan River and basin management |access-date=2011-03-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202062900/http://unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/80858e/80858E0m.htm |archive-date=2010-12-02 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Religious significance==

===Hebrew Bible===
[[File:Schnorr von Carolsfeld Bibel in Bildern 1860 067.png|thumb|''Crossing the Jordan'', from ''[[commons:Die Bibel in Bildern|Die Bibel in Bildern]]'']]

In the [[Hebrew Bible]] the Jordan is referred to as the source of fertility of a large plain ("Kikkar ha-Yarden"), said to be watered like "the garden of the LORD" ([[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] {{bibleverse-nb||Genesis|13:10|HE}}). There is no regular description of the Jordan in the Bible; only scattered and indefinite references to it are given. [[Jacob]] crossed it and its tributary, the Jabbok (the modern Zarqa River), on his way back from [[Haran]] ({{bibleverse||Genesis|32:11|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Genesis|32:23–24|HE}}). It is noted as the line of demarcation between the "two tribes and the half tribe" settled to the [[Transjordan in the Bible|east]] ([[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] {{bibleverse-nb||Numbers|34:15|HE}}) and the "nine tribes and the half [[tribe of Manasseh]]" that settled to the west ({{bibleverse||Joshua|13:7|HE}}, passim).

Opposite [[Jericho]], it is called "the Jordan of Jericho" ({{bibleverse||Numbers|34:15|HE}}; {{bibleverse-nb||Numbers|35:1|HE}}). The Jordan has a number of [[ford (crossing)|fords]], and one of them is famous as the place where many [[Tribe of Ephraim|Ephraimites]] were slain by [[Jephthah]] ([[Book of Judges|Judges]] {{bibleverse-nb||Judges|12:5–6|HE}}). It seems that these are the same fords mentioned as being near Beth-barah, where [[Gideon]] lay in wait for the [[Midian]]ites ({{bibleverse||Judges|7:24|HE}}). In the plain of the Jordan, between [[Sukkot|Succoth]] and [[Zarthan]], is the clay ground where [[Solomon]] had his bronze foundries ([[Books of Kings|1 Kings]] {{bibleverse-nb|1|Kings|7:46|HE}}). In {{bibleverse|2|Kings|6:1-4|HE}} the Jordan valley is portrayed as a woodland region. Biblical commentator [[Albert Barnes (theologian)|Albert Barnes]] suggests that "trees were rare in most parts of Palestine, but plentiful in the Jordan Valley".<ref>[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/2_kings/6.htm Barnes' Notes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106204816/http://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/2_kings/6.htm |date=2018-01-06 }} on 2 Kings 6, accessed 26 December 2017</ref>

In biblical history, the Jordan appears as the scene of several [[miracle]]s, the first taking place when the Jordan, near Jericho, was crossed by the Israelites under Joshua ([[Joshua 3#Crossing the Jordan (3:14–17)|Joshua 3:15-17]]). Later the two tribes and the half tribe that settled east of the Jordan built a large altar on its banks as "a witness" between them and the other tribes ({{bibleverse||Joshua|22:10|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Joshua|22:26|HE}}, et seq.). The Jordan was crossed by [[Elijah]] and [[Elisha]] on dry ground ({{bibleverse|2|Kings|2:8|HE}}, {{bibleverse-nb|2|Kings|2:14|HE}}). Elisha performed two miracles at the Jordan: he healed [[Naaman]]'s [[leprosy]] by having him bathe in its waters ({{bibleverse|2|Kings|5:14|HE}}), and he made an axe head lost by one of the "children of the prophets" float, by throwing a piece of wood into the water ({{bibleverse|2|Kings|6:6|HE}}).

===New Testament===
{{See also|Christianity in Jordan}}[[File:Jordanian Christian women visiting Al-Maghtas, Jordan River, 1913 (cropped) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Christian women on pilgrimage to [[Al-Maghtas]] (1913)]][[File:Bethany (5).JPG|250px|right|thumb| [[Al-Maghtas]] ruins on the Jordanian side of the Jordan River are the putative location for the Baptism of [[Jesus]] and the ministry of [[John the Baptist]]]]The [[New Testament]] states that [[John the Baptist]] baptised unto repentance<ref>Cf. {{bibleverse||Acts|19:4|KJV}}</ref> in the Jordan ([[Matthew 3:5]]–[[Matthew 3:6|6]]; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]]{{bibleverse-nb||Mark|1:5|KJV}}; [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] {{bibleverse-nb||Luke|3:3|KJV}}; [[Gospel of John|John]]{{bibleverse-nb||John|1:28|KJV}}). These acts of [[baptism]] are also reported as having taken place at [[Bethabara]] ({{bibleverse||John|1:28|KJV}}). [[Jesus]] came [[Baptism of Jesus|to be baptised]] by him there ([[Matthew 3:13]]; {{bibleverse||Mark|1:9|KJV}}; {{bibleverse||Luke|3:21|KJV}}, {{bibleverse-nb||Luke|4:1|KJV}}). The Jordan is also where John the Baptist bore record of Jesus as the [[Son of God]] and [[Lamb of God]] ({{bibleverse||John|1:29–36|KJV}}). The [[prophecy]] of [[Isaiah]] regarding the [[Messiah]] which names the Jordan ({{bibleverse||Isaiah|9:1–2|KJV}}) is reported in {{bibleverse||Matthew|4:15|KJV}}.

The New Testament speaks several times about Jesus crossing the Jordan during his ministry ({{bibleverse||Matthew|19:1|KJV}}; {{bibleverse||Mark|10:1|KJV}}) and of believers crossing the Jordan to come hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases ({{bibleverse||Matthew|4:25|KJV}}; {{bibleverse||Mark|3:7–8|KJV}}). When his enemies sought to capture him, Jesus took refuge at the river in the place John had first baptised ({{bibleverse||John|10:39–40|KJV}}).

Scholars have concluded that the site called [[Al-Maghtas]] on the east side has long been considered the location for the Baptism of Jesus and a place of pilgrimage. This has led to choosing Al-Maghtas as a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage site]] in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1446 |title= Baptism Site "Bethany Beyond the Jordan" (Al-Maghtas) |author= UNESCO World Heritage Centre |access-date= 16 January 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170119092144/http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1446 |archive-date= 19 January 2017 |url-status= live }}</ref>

===Derived cultural significance===
====Symbolism====
Because, according to Jewish tradition, the [[Israelites]] made a difficult and hazardous journey from [[slavery]] in [[Egypt]] to freedom in [[Promised Land|the Promised Land]], the Jordan can refer to freedom.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} The actual crossing is the final step of the journey, which is then complete.

Among many other references, the Jordan River is given this meaning in the text of ''[[Old Man River (song)|Old Man River]]'': "Let me go 'way from the Mississippi / Let me go 'way from the white man boss / Show me that stream called the River Jordan / That's the old stream that I long to cross".

====Christening of royals====
Because of the baptism of Jesus, water from the Jordan is employed for the christening of heirs and princes in several Christian royal houses, such as the cases of [[Prince George of Wales]], [[Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha|Simeon of Bulgaria]]<ref>Kate Connolly, [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/jun/20/worlddispatch.kateconnolly "Once upon a time in Bulgaria"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723170840/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/jun/20/worlddispatch.kateconnolly |date=2015-07-23 }}, ''The Guardian'', 20 June 2001.</ref> and [[James Ogilvy]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Baptized |url= http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,871108-1,00.html |quote= water from the River Jordan was sent for the occasion; |magazine= [[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date= May 22, 1964 |access-date= 2008-03-11 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090902080032/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,871108-1,00.html |archive-date= September 2, 2009  }}</ref> Earlier, On 15 May 1717, the Empress [[Maria Theresa]] was baptised in Vienna by the Papal [[Nuntius]] Giorgio Spinola, representing [[Pope Clement XI]], with baptismal water containing a few drops from the River Jordan.

====Christian poetry and music====
The Jordan is a frequent symbol in [[Folk music|folk]], [[Gospel music|gospel]], and [[Spiritual (music)|spiritual music]], and in [[poetry|poetic]] and [[literature|literary]] works. The baptism of Jesus is referred to in a hymn by the reformer Martin Luther, "{{lang|de|[[Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam]]}}" (1541), base for a cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, {{lang|de|[[Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam, BWV 7|''Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam'', BWV 7]]|italic=unset}} (1724).

The Jordan River, due primarily to its rich spiritual importance, has provided inspiration for countless songs, hymns, and stories, including the traditional African-American spiritual/folk songs "[[Michael Row the Boat Ashore]]", "[[Deep River (song)|Deep River]]", and "[[Roll, Jordan, Roll]]".{{citation needed|date=May 2019}} It is mentioned in the songs "[[Eve of Destruction (song)|Eve of Destruction]]", "[[Will You Be There]]", and "[[The Wayfaring Stranger (song)|The Wayfaring Stranger]]" and in "[[Ol' Man River]]" from the musical ''[[Show Boat]]''. "The Far Side Banks of Jordan" by [[Johnny Cash]] and [[June Carter Cash]] on June's [[Grammy Award]]-winning studio album, ''[[Press On (June Carter Cash album)|Press On]]'', mentions the Jordan River as well as the Promised Land.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}} Jordan River is the subject of [[roots reggae]] artist [[Burning Spear]]'s song of the same title.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.jah-lyrics.com/index.php?songid=1135 |title= Jah Lyrics: Burning Spear - Jordan River Lyrics |access-date= 16 January 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150319044550/http://jah-lyrics.com/index.php?songid=1135 |archive-date= 19 March 2015  }}</ref> Belarusian band [[Spasenie]] dedicated its whole album "[[Crossing the Jordan]]" to the topic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.tut.by/culture/53634.html|title=Интервью с солистом группы "Spasenie" Игорем Мухой накануне концерта 1 июня в клубе "Реактор"|trans-title=Interview with the lead singer of Spasenie Igor Mukha on the eve of the concert at the club "Reactor" on June 1|last=Zrobok|first=Olga|date=2005-05-26|publisher=[[TUT.BY]]|language=ru|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830072634/https://news.tut.by/culture/53634.html|archive-date=2019-08-30|access-date=2019-08-30}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Judaism|Christianity|Israel|Palestine|Jordan}}
* [[Ænon]]
* [[Ed-Dikke synagogue]]
* [[Fair river sharing]]
* [[Island of Peace]]
* [[Jordan Rift Valley]]
* [[List of most-polluted rivers]]
* [[List of rivers of Israel]]
* [[List of rivers of Jordan]]
* [[Mandaeans]]
* [[Naharayim]]
* [[Sacred waters]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

== References ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |title= Palestine Under the Moslems: A Description of Syria and the Holy Land from A.D. 650 to 1500 | url = https://archive.org/details/palestineundermo00lestuoft | first = G.| last=Le Strange |author-link=Guy Le Strange|publisher= Committee of the [[Palestine Exploration Fund]] |location= London |year=1890 |oclc= 1004386}}
*{{cite book|last=Palmer|first=E.H.|author-link=Edward Henry Palmer|year=1881|url=https://archive.org/details/surveyofwesternp00conduoft|title=The Survey of Western Palestine: Arabic and English Name Lists Collected During the Survey by Lieutenants Conder and Kitchener, R. E. Transliterated and Explained by E.H. Palmer|publisher=[[Palestine Exploration Fund|Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund]]}} 
*{{cite book|last1=Robinson|first1=E.|author-link1=Edward Robinson (scholar)|last2=Smith|first2=E.|author-link2=Eli Smith|year=1841|url=http://archive.org/details/biblicalresearc00smitgoog |title=Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838|  location=Boston|publisher=[[Crocker & Brewster]]|volume=2}} 
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070323045945/http://www.iwrm-smart.org/ SMART – Multilateral project for sustainable water management in the lower Jordan Valley]
* [[Inventory of Conflict and Environment]] (ICE), [https://web.archive.org/web/20100930012518/http://www1.american.edu/TED/ice/JORDAN.HTM Jordan River Dispute]
* [https://lccn.loc.gov/2005625324 "Map of the River Jordan and Dead Sea: And the Route of the Party Under the Command of Lieutenant W.F. Lynch, United States Navy"] is a map from the mid-19th century of the River Jordan and Dead Sea, made under the command of [[William F. Lynch]].
* [https://www.yardenit.com/baptism/jordan-river/ "The Jordan River"] in which John the Baptist baptized his cousin Jesus of Nazareth. (Yardenit.com)

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Jordan River| ]]
[[Category:International rivers of Asia]]
[[Category:Rivers of Israel]]
[[Category:Rivers of Jordan]]
[[Category:Rivers of Palestine]]
[[Category:Rivers of Lebanon]]
[[Category:Rivers of Syria]]
[[Category:Rivers of the West Bank]]
[[Category:Geography of Israel]]
[[Category:Geography of Palestine (region)]]
[[Category:Geography of Palestine]]
[[Category:Geography of Lebanon]]
[[Category:Geography of Syria]]
[[Category:Geography of the West Bank]]
[[Category:Great Rift Valley]]
[[Category:Hebrew Bible rivers]]
[[Category:Sacred rivers]]
[[Category:New Testament geography]]
[[Category:Catholic pilgrimage sites]]
[[Category:Environmental issues in Israel]]
[[Category:Environmental issues in Palestine]]
[[Category:Tourism in Jordan]]
[[Category:Border rivers]]
[[Category:Borders of the West Bank]]
[[Category:Israel–Jordan border]]
[[Category:Israel–Lebanon border]]
[[Category:Israel–Syria border]]
[[Category:Israel–Jordan relations]]
[[Category:Rivers in Mandaeism]]