Do Jews typically do baptisms. What was John the Baptist up to?

Answer 1

its called a Mikvah

Jews then even more than now were careful about ritual purity.

One part of that was to immerse yourself in a natural body of water. This was done by some people on occasion by others several times a day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikvah#History

Answer 2

John the Baptist was a prophet of God who foretold the imminent coming of Christ. John the Baptist was Jesus' cousin and knew that Jesus Christ had been conceived while still in his Mother's womb.

Baptism is the ritual act of spiritual rebirth. Though Christ was baptised by John the Baptist and Christians should follow his example, the act of baptism is not a requirement for being admitted to Heaven and the eternity.

Orthodox and Conservative rabbis require both male and female conversion candidates to immerse themselves in a ritual bath called a mikveh.

This ceremony is called tevillah. Reform and Reconstructionist rabbis do not require the use of a mikveh, but some highly recommend it. The mikveh can be any body of natural water, though the term usually refers to a specific pool that is built for the purposes of ritual purification.

The equipment used varies according to the mikveh. The immersion ceremony usually starts with cleaning the body as by a shower. The person is covered and the covering removed as the person enters the warm mikveh waters, which are usually about four feet deep. (When the ceremony is done in a public place such as a lake the candidate wears a loose-fitting garment).

Blessings are recited and the person goes bends into the water. According to traditional Jewish law, three male witnesses must be present, although this rule has been reinterpreted so that, in some movements, Jewish females can be witnesses. When there are male witnesses and the candidate is female, the witnesses wait outside the mikveh room and are told by a female attendant that the immersion has been completed and the blessings recited.

Answer 3

I think the Jews in remembering their crossing of the Red Sea to freedom has something to do with baptism that was developed to be some standard method carried out by John the Baptist and by the Christians. According to the Bible, John the Baptist's baptism is a call to the Jews to repent for their sins so that they would not fall out from the heavenly home.

Answer 4

Jews don't do baptisms... Christians do. Baptism is a symoblic washing away of the sins and the start of the transformation into a Christian. John the Baptist was the first 'recorded' person to do this act although others at the time were doing so. The jewish faith was being transformed into Christianity one person at a time and this symbolic 'cleansing' created a visual and outsign of the transformation that the believers were experiencing.

Jesus had himself baptised to show that he too had a mortal body and earthly 'dirt' that needed to be cleansed and it was at that time he began his 'transformion' from the jewish carpenter into the Savior.

Hope this answers the question!

Merry Christmas!

Answer 5

Baptism does NOT mean "to wash"

The original word Baptismo from which we get baptism is defined as "to immerse, to bury"

Sprinkling and pouring of water are not acceptable ways of baptism. Every example of baptism in the New Testament dealt with a large quantity of water and the "going down into" the water signifying immersion.

Answer 6

yes te jews were baptism is symbolic of the washing of sins and become clean that is what john the baptist was up to try the link

Answer 7

The baptism ritual used by christians is a jewish custom that was carried over to christianity. Just like in christianity, when someone converts to judaism they submerge themselves fully in a ritual bath (mikvah). The mikvah is used for other types of ritual cleansing in judaism in addition to the conversion process.

Answer 8

Ceremonial washing=baptism. Baptism means "to wash".

Answer 9

Jews have what is called a Mikvah and it is used for ritual purity. John the baptist was doing his own thing (non-Jewish).

Answer 10

The word "baptism", I have read comes from a word associated with dying fabric, dunking it. It implies cleansing as well. The fabric goes in one color and comes up another color. It implies a change in identity.