Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem on Saturday led the traditional celebrations of the Eve of Theophany in Jerusalem and at the Jordan River, the site where, according to the Gospel, Jesus Christ was baptized. The events were announced by the press service of the Jerusalem Patriarchate.

The festive services began at the Monastery Church of Saints Constantine and Helen, belonging to the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Patriarch Theophilos presided over the Divine Liturgy and the rite of the Lesser Blessing of Water. Following the service, a religious procession made its way to the Patriarchate’s residence and then continued toward the Jordan Valley.

The procession passed through Jericho and several ancient monasteries closely associated with biblical history. Upon reaching the banks of the Jordan River, a specially prepared site hosted the evening service and the rite of the blessing of the waters, led by the head of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church.

Despite the large number of pilgrims gathered at the river, Patriarch Theophilos descended to the water and immersed the Cross into the Jordan while hymns dedicated to the Baptism of the Lord were sung. A similar service was held simultaneously on the eastern bank of the river, where Archbishop Christophoros of Kyriakoupolis officiated together with pilgrims from Jordan.

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, also known as Theophany, is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on January 19. It commemorates the Gospel account of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. According to the Gospel, the Holy Spirit descended upon Christ in the form of a dove, and the voice of God the Father was heard from heaven, bearing witness to Him as the Son of God. For this reason, the feast is known as Theophany — the day on which the unity of the Holy Trinity was revealed to the world.