Al-Maghtas, Jordan, May 19, 2026
Photo: en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info
His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and King Abdullah II of Jordan inaugurated a new Orthodox university in Jordan on Sunday.
The new Baptism Site International Orthodox University is located on the eastern bank of the Jordan River in Al-Maghtas, site where Christ was baptized by St. John the Baptist, reports the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
UNESCO recognized the location as a World Heritage Site in 2015.
The ceremony was attended by members of the Jordanian royal family, all patriarchs and heads of churches of Jerusalem, government officials, diplomats, clergy, scholars, and guests from various Christian traditions and religious communities.
The school, Jordan’s first Christian university, will offer programs in humanities, ethical leadership, historical scholarship, and cultural engagement, rather than functioning solely as a theological seminary.
Pat. Theophilos thanked King Abdullah for his custodianship of holy sites and described Jordan as a supporter of Christian presence and interreligious relations in the region.
He also “affirmed that this sacred undertaking answers a profound need in [the] region to unite spiritual depth with intellectual excellence, faith with scholarship, and inherited truth with responsible service to humanity.”
The university is intended to serve as a center for academic study, Christian-Muslim dialogue, and exchange between East and West, welcoming scholars and students from across the Middle East and beyond.
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