A Christian Orthodox pilgrim immerses he

A Christian Orthodox pilgrim immerses herself in a plastic bath filled with water pumped out from the Jordan River during a ritual baptism at the baptismal site of Qasr al-Yahud after pilgrims were banned from accessing the river by the Israeli army on April 22, 2008. Thousands of Orthodox Christian pilgrims flocked under a scorching sun today to the site where they believe Jesus was baptised but could not take the traditional plunge into the Jordan River. In the past, pilgrims rushed into the river to perform ritual immersions in commemoration of their baptisms, but that has been banned by Israel, which only opens the otherwise closed military area to the public a few times a year. AFP PHOTO/GALI TIBBON (Photo credit should read GALI TIBBON/AFP via Getty Images)