Baptism (Mikveh)

Yehovah is all about cleanliness of body, soul and spirit. Exodus 29:4,40:31-32, Leviticus 8:6, 15:16-18, 17:15, Numbers 19:2-9, 2 Kings 5:8—10,14. John the Baptist did not invent baptism.

1. The Hebrew term “tevilah” means immersion or dipping which became a symbol of repentance and spiritual purification as well as bodily cleansing of all uncleanness.
2. The Hebrew “mikveh” meaning a pool of water, became the method used by the Israelites for cleansing. They are found all over Israel in homes, synagogues, and on the temple mount in Jerusalem. They were mostly spring fed holding 200 gallons of fresh, never stagnant “living” water having steps to go down into the water safely as modern baptistries do today. They were used mainly from 100 BC to 136 AD and the destruction of The Temple and then the entire population dispersed or killed by the Roman armies during the Bar Kokba rebellion.
3. The ritual of Repentance baptism was started by John the Baptist, who was born to be a High Priest and He used baptism to picture repentance from all sin. (1 John 1:9, 3:4, John 1:6, 23, 28-29, 33-34. Matthew 3:1-2, 33)
4. The 3000 devout converts at Pentecost (Shavuot) 50 days after Yeshuah’s resurrection
   just before the Day of Firstfruits were baptized in the 50+ mikvahs at the south end of the temple by probably 100 of the 120 disciples who waited for the giving of the Holy Spirit. Each pair of disciples would have directed 60 of the new believers in Yeshua to a mikvah and instructed them to enter the water, fully immerse themselves and then the disciple would announce their repentance and dedication to Yeshua in Yeshua’s name and then help them exit the mikvah and assist the next in line similarly. This all took place in one afternoon while Peter and the others were continuing to teach the crowds. (Acts 2:5, 32, 36-38, 41)
5. The statement in Matthew 28:19 to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit was added by translators in AD 325 following Constantine’s personal scribe and historian, Eusebius’s teachings of the Trinity and other spurious doctrines. The disciples of Yeshua all baptized in the name of Yeshua of Nazareth. (Romans 6:3-8, 11-12, Acts 2:38, 8:16, 19:4-5)
6. 1 Peter 3:21 shows baptism symbolizes repentance and being purified by the blood of Yeshua to become a “new creature” , a new man in Yeshua now set apart for salvation by faith in Yeshua’s sacrifice. Baptism is a picture of the womb and also resurrection to new life. Baptism is not necessary for salvation but a product of the convert’s desire to obey Yeshua and show others they are sincere in their faith and dedication. It is also an Exodus event picturing freedom from sin to covenant for obedience to our Creator forever. (Jeremiah 3:13-15,17:13-14, Deuteronomy 10:12-13, Isaiah 56:6-7, Luke 23:40-43, Romans 4:16, Ephesians 2:5,8-9, 21-22, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
7. Many baptisms followed (Acts 2:46-47), 5000 men plus women (Acts 4:4, 5:14, 6:7, 8:4,26-27, 35-38, 11:19-21, 19:4-5). We must all be purified, revitalized, and transformed to be the priests we were called and chosen to be in the Kingdom (John 12:26, Matthew 6:33, Revelation 20:6). Let’s all seek His righteousness and fulfill our callings to serve Him forever.

10 Ancient Mikvahs, From Jerusalem and Beyond

By Yehudis Litvak

Ritual purity has always been a treasured mitzvah for the Jewish people, evidenced by the numerous ancient mikvahs discovered by archeologists throughout the Land of Israel, the Mediterranean basin, and Europe. Wherever Jews settled, they built mikvahs.

Last week, we took a tour of some of the world’s most beautiful mikvahs. This week, we will explore some of the oldest.

While the primary function of the mikvah today is to allow a husband and wife to be together after menstruation, during the Temple era ritual purity was also necessary for many other aspects of everyday life, including entering the Temple Mount, handling sacred foods (such as Temple offerings and the priestly gifts), or even handling food that would be eaten on a high order of purity. For this reason, mikvahs were often found near olive and wine presses, in addition to in homes and near the actual Temple complex.

Continue reading at: https://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/6955342/jewish/10-Ancient-Mikvahs-From-Jerusalem-and-Beyond.htm