<Tr> <Th> Length </Th> <Td> 251 km (156 mi) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> The Jordan River runs along the border between Jordan, the Palestinian West Bank, Israel and southwestern Syria . </Td> </Tr> <P> The Jordan River (also River Jordan; Classical Syriac: ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ‎, Hebrew: נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן ‬ Nahar ha - Yarden; Arabic: نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ ‎ Nahr al - Urdunn, Ancient Greek: Ιορδάνης, Iordànes) is a 251 - kilometre (156 mi) - long river in the Middle East that flows roughly north to south through the Sea of Galilee and on to the Dead Sea . Jordan and the Golan Heights border the river to the east, while the West Bank and Israel lie to its west . Both Jordan and the West Bank take their names from the river . </P> <P> The river has a major significance in Judaism and Christianity . This is the site where the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land and where Jesus of Nazareth was baptised by John the Baptist . </P>

Where did the jordan river get its name