Page 24 - Holyland Magazine - 2009 Edition

Courtesy of Hamat Gader For a first century The basin had to contain enough water for
an adult to fully immerse in, a minimum of
Modern New Testament Jew in the Holy Land, about 250 gallons. Since rain and runoff
scholars debating the bathing meant one of two water were not readily available in some
influence of Jewish life things: self-immersion in areas, water from a well or spring could be
versus Roman pagan life a communal ritual bath – added to the minimum required amount
on Jesus and his disciples a kind of baptism practiced and mixed in.
are taking a closer look at on a regular basis by adult
bathing customs. Jews; or a visit to one of Ritual immersion was a regularly practiced
the Roman bathhouses for and accepted part of Jewish life. A ritual
recreation and healing. self-immersion is required by Jewish law if
any questions arise concerning ritual
Each type of bath had a impurity, such as a woman’s monthly period,
unique architecture and purpose, but it is giving birth, or touching a corpse.
still unclear to what extent the Jews living
in Galilee used the Roman bathhouse on These impurities barred Jews from
a regular basis. performing certain rituals or going on
pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem until
The ritual bath (or mikveh in Hebrew) they had immersed themselves in such a
followed strict Jewish laws of the Second bath. Archaeological findings of hundreds
Temple period and was a basin dug into a of ritual baths in Jerusalem and many other
rock with a few steps leading to the water, Jewish communities of the time attest to
allowing rainwater, spring water or runoff the mikveh’s importance in their daily life.
to collect. The basin stored only God-given It was many decades later that baptism in
water – that is, water that was not pumped Christianity became associated exclusively
or collected from a well. with forgiveness of sins or salvation.

FROMBTOABTAHPSTISM

The Roman baths at Hamat Itamar Grinberg
Gader are among the most
impressive in the land.
Above: Then as now people
enjoy thermo-mineral natural
spas for health, recreation and
socializing.

24 “…this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live” (Ezekiel 47:9)