|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
Jordan
Jordan river, c.200 mi (320 km) long, formed in the Hula basin, N Israel, by the confluence of three headwater streams and meandering S through the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea ; the region of Palestine's longest and most important river and the world's lowest river below sea level. It flows through the northern section of the Jordan trough, a part of the Great Rift Valley ; between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, the Jordan valley is called the Ghor . There it forms the border between Israel and the West Bank (W) and the nation of Jordan (E). The Jordan is fed by many small streams, with headwaters in Syria and Lebanon. The Yarmuk River is its largest tributary. Deep and turbulent during the rainy season, the Jordan is reduced to a sluggish, shallow stream during the summer. As it nears the Dead Sea, its salinity increases. Although the river is not navigable, its waters are valuable for irrigation. Israel's National Water Carrier Project uses the Sea of Galilee as a reservoir, and Jordan's East Ghor project diverts water from the Yarmuk River. Other irrigation projects, in Syria and Lebanon, divert water from the Jordan's headstreams. The river is mentioned in the New Testament as the scene of Jesus' baptism. |
|
|
Cite this article
"Jordan." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Jordan." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-JordanR.html "Jordan." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-JordanR.html |
|
Jordan
Jordan The river which runs from north of the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea is central to the history of Israel, ancient and modern. Towns and villages near it are mentioned in the NT—Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Gergasa. It flows below sea level and is about 320 km. (200 miles) long. The Israelites crossed the Jordan (Josh. 4: 10) when the flow of the river temporarily ceased, as has happened at other times as a result of earthquakes or landslides, and in modern times in 1927. It was the chosen scene for the ministry of John the Baptist the Baptist; because it was the means by which the Israelites had entered the Promised Land, it acquired symbolic importance for apocalyptic enthusiasts in the 1st cent. CE.
|
|
|
Cite this article
W. R. F. BROWNING. "Jordan." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. W. R. F. BROWNING. "Jordan." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-Jordan.html W. R. F. BROWNING. "Jordan." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-Jordan.html |
|
Jordan
Jordan a river flowing southward for 320 km (200 miles) from the Anti-Lebanon Mountains through the Sea of Galilee into the Dead Sea. John the Baptist baptized Christ in the River Jordan. It is regarded as sacred not only by Christians but also by Jews and Muslims.
The crossing of Jordan is taken figuratively (after Numbers 33:51, in reference to the Israelites passing over Jordan to the land of Canaan) to symbolize death; the usage was reinforced by John Bunyan in the second part of Pilgrim's Progress (1684) in the story of Mr Standfast's crossing the river. |
|
|
Cite this article
ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Jordan." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Jordan." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Jordan.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Jordan." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Jordan.html |
|
Jordan, River
Jordan, River. Formed from the waters of four streams which converge, the Jordan flows through the ‘Sea of Galilee’ and eventually enters the Dead Sea. By their passage of the Jordan the Hebrews first entered the Promised Land (Jos. 3: 16); St John the Baptist preached on its banks, and Christ was among those baptized in its waters (Mt. 3: 13). The Jordan became an emblem of the achievement of purity (especially in Baptism) and of the last hindrance to man's final blessedness.
|
|
|
Cite this article
E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Jordan, River." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Jordan, River." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-JordanRiver.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Jordan, River." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-JordanRiver.html |
|
Jordan
Jordan River in the Middle East, rising in the Anti-Lebanon mountains at the confluence of the Hasbani, Dan, and Baniyas rivers. It flows s through Israel and the Sea of Galilee, and empties into the Dead Sea. Since 1967, the s part of the river forms a section of the Israel-Jordan border. Length: 320km (200mi).
|
|
|
Cite this article
"Jordan." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Jordan." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Jordan1.html "Jordan." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Jordan1.html |
|
Jordan
Jordan river, 60 mi (97 km) long, draining Utah Lake N into Great Salt Lake, N central Utah; it passes through Salt Lake City. Fed by numerous streams flowing off the Wasatch Range, the Jordan is used for irrigation and forms the heart of the Utah Oasis. Mormons settled along its banks in the mid-1800s. |
|
|
Cite this article
"Jordan." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Jordan." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-JordanUS.html "Jordan." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-JordanUS.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
