_ 146 _ forms three lakes, each a day’s journey from the next along the river. The river is the width of a team of animals, but in places narrower. It was in the waters of this river halfway between the first and second lakes that the holy baptism of Christ, our Redeemer took place. Here there is a church, now in ruins, a great place of pilgrimage, built on the site of a house to which God is said to have retired after the baptism. Others say that the River Jordan rises on a mountain called Beit Shems, “eye of the sun”, in the province of Nazareth, half a day’s journey beyond the first lake, and that the river flows through without mingling with the waters of these lakes. Three leagues to the west of the place of Our Lord’s baptism is the holy city of Jerusalem, at thirty-two degrees. Finally, the river ends up in a lake which is much larger than any other, and which has no outflow, and for this reason some call it the Dead Sea. I was also told that it was in the second of these lakes that St. Peter was fishing when he was summoned by Our Lord. By this lake, there is a place with about fifty Arab citizens, white people (where it is said that the city of Jericho was formerly, and there are many traces of ancient stonework buildings here). Here pilgrims bound for Jerusa-
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