Posted by:
Uncle Dale
(
)
Date: April 11, 2013 01:32PM
presbyterian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Very old Mikva (Jewish ritual bath practiced in
> the time of Jesus)
>
>
http://www.mikvahminder.com/mikvah-blog/ancient-mi> kvah-found-in-jerusalem.html
Yes, and its location near an entrance to the ancient temple
in Jerusalem probably shows that the bath was used by others
than just the priestly class. As I mentioned previously,
there were then laymen Jews who attempted to live their daily
lives at the same level of ritual cleanliness and holiness
as did the courses of Sadducean priests, when on duty inside
the temple. All of that has an historical context.
But expanding/altering a periodic ritual priestly cleansing
into a once-in-a-lifetime public confession of sin and
repentance (in unholy, unconsecrated river or pool water)
would have been a big, big step away from Pharisee bathing.
First of all, there would have been the individual shame
of a personal acknowledgement of having transgressed the
Law of Moses. In the Temple there was a sin offering to
alleviate this problem -- generally a dove sacrifice. In
some instances such a sacrifice may have even been conducted
outside of the Temple. But a public admission of transgression,
and a public offering of repentance for that transgression
would have been something different.
Secondly, there would have been the problem of both males
and females being purified in the same unconsecrated water
indiscriminately -- I do not picture John the Baptist
working out a way to segregate the sexes in the Jordan stream.
Thirdly, there would be the matter of baptism being a once
in a lifetime ordinance. Would the baptized individuals
continue to engage in periodic ritual cleansings, having
already been baptized? Baptism seems to imply that the
person is forgiven at a level above and beyond compliance
with Mosaic Law. It is an initiation, or at least the public
demonstration of entering into a new life. Again, this is a
departure from Jewish ritual bathing.
So, the necessary evidence, to show an evolution from Jewish
bathing, into John's baptism or Christian baptism, would
have to be something other than our digging up a bathing
structure at a temple entrance. In fact, that sort of artifact
would serve as an indication that Christian baptism was not
a part of the lives of the people who used the mikvah.
UD