Deep River: The Jordan as Border

Christian pilgrims have long streamed to the Jordan River in order to immerse in the very water where Jesus Christ was baptized. The Mishnah, a late-antique collection of Jewish law, however disqualifies the water of the Jordan River as an agent of purification. In the Jewish tradition, the Jordan River is sacred because it serves as the definitive boundary of the Promised Land. The biblical chronicle of the Jordan River as a border exerted influence on the British configuration of Palestine during the Mandate period and, in turn, on the territorial claims of the Jewish and Palestinian national movements. While the Jordan River is also the central water source in an arid region, the conflicting claims of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority disable any concerted environmental preservation. What role will the Jordan River as border and water source play in future Middle East peace negotiations?