<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; Hebrew: נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן ‬ Nahar ha - Yarden, Classical Syriac: ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ‎, Arabic: نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ ‎ Nahr al - Urdunn, Ancient Greek: Ιορδάνης, Iordànes) is a 251 - kilometre - long (156 mi) river in the Middle East that flows roughly north to south through the Sea of Galilee (Hebrew: כנרת Kinneret, Arabic: Bohayrat Tabaraya, meaning Lake of Tiberias) 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 since many believe that the Israelites crossed it into the Promised Land and that Jesus of Nazareth was baptised by John the Baptist in it . </P> <P> The Jordan River has an upper course from its sources to the Sea of Galilee, 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 is reserved for the lower course . </P>

What is the significance of the jordan river to christianity