father koryoun baghdasaryan is getting ready to head down to the sacred waters of the jordan river. father koryoun baghdasaryan: today is the feast of the epiphany of the armenian church, and we are getting prepared to go down to the jordan river to the baptismal site where, according to the new testament, john the baptist baptized jesus christ. for us, it's very important, especially because only the armenian church keep the tradition as it was celebrated in the fourth century by the universal christian church. eric: covid-19 restrictions mean the priests need a police escort and can only bring 50 people instead of hundreds. they descend through the judean desert into the jordan valley. the baptism site is on the militarized border between jordan and the palestinian territories occupied by israel. access is controlled by the israeli military. at the river, the priests are met by their armenian counterparts in jordan across the water. male: [speaking foreign language] eric: the patriarch blesses the river's waters, and priests collect them to use in baptisms and benedictions through