Before Jesus walked the earth, were Jews baptized?

Question

John, that came out of the wilderness, was called John the Baptist after all!

Answer 1

In Mark 1:5 and it’s where John the Baptist was baptizing the people in the Jordan river. I was wondering before Christ’s death how would they relate to baptism and did the Jews have a baptism in their rituals at that time?


There are several baptisms in the scripture that are of importance. There is the baptism of John. There is the baptism of John baptizing Jesus, and there is the baptism in the name of Christ in the church after his death and resurrection. They are distinct. The Christian baptism is an identification with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The baptism of John was a Jewish washing. Throughout the Jewish history it had been traditional for Jews to demonstrate outwardly and inward repentance. They would do that through washing ceremonies. What was happening was John was preaching repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and that was a very clear message. The Messiah is coming! The people who accepted that message and desired to repent came to John, repented, and demonstrated their repentance in the baptism. They were a people being made ready for the coming of the Messiah. So it was a Jewish washing as they were preparing themselves internally in their heart and demonstrating it externally in their baptism for the arrival of Messiah. It was a baptism of repentance, so it was Jewish baptism.

Now the baptism of Jesus by John. Jesus didn’t need to repent...right? So why was He baptized? He was baptized, I believe, to identify himself with that repentant remnant. And then Christian baptism is unique unto itself.

Answer 2

No, not in the sense of repenting for their sins and promising to obey God.
The word baptism simply meant to immerse into the water. The Jews, before John the Baptist, though had ceremonial and practical baths where they are immersed in the water to cleanse their physical dirt.

This is the background when Peter said that baptism--not the cleansing of the flesh as the Jews did--was a symbol of obeying God the way Noah obeyed God by building the ark. (1Peter 3:21)

Answer 3

No coz i don't believe john could baptize as a baby and theres no record of anyone eles in that time baptizing. Also what r u lonnys on about everyone who got baptized by john was not a baby and u don't have to be a baby to get baptized pff also many people who did get baptized by john did not believe jesus was the mashiah but some believed he was many who were baptized by john saw john as the mashiah rather than jesus

Answer 4

As RhymesWithCamera says, the mikvah is used for ritual cleansing. Much of Judaism is based on separating the holy from the profane. Orthodox Jews continue to use the mikvah for all the reasons RWC mentions, but Conservative and Reform Jews seldom use it except for conversions. It is a ritual cleansing of all the impurities of the past -- very similar to Baptism.

Today's mikvahs are in buildings and rain water is collected to feed the running water. When you visit Israel you will see ancient mikvot in many places. There is one very near the steps leading up to the entrance of the Temple where Jews were required to immerse before entering God's holy residence.
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Answer 5

Prior to John the Baptist, other than ritual cleansing of the dead or a cleansing before another Jewish rite, there was no baptismal rite. Jews do not baptize at present either and at no time have they added baptism to their practices.

Answer 6

John the baptist predated Jesus, and the Essenes and similar sects may have used baptism as part of their initiation rites. Also, normative Judaism has the practice of the Mikvah, or ritual bathing, in different circumstances.

Answer 7

I was read the New Testament accounts of John The Baptist which should shed some light on your question
Peace

Answer 8

it is not called baptism

it is called going into the mikvah

the mikvah is a pool filled with naturally running water
it is a place to ritualistically cleanse yourself

Orthodox Jewish women go to the mikvah once a month after their period to purify themselves

Orthodox men will go before their wedding day as a way to purify themselves for their wives and the sanctity of marriage

Orthodox men may or may not go before the Holy Days of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, based on their minhag (community tradition) to cleanse themselves as part of the repentance cycle

anyone that converts into Judaism, as the final act of conversion, must take a dip into the mikvah

this concept is not the same as baptism though, I don't think, though I am not that familar with what exactly baptism represents

Answer 9

From what I've heard, those who converted to Judaism were baptized as well as circumcized, but those born into Judaism were not, although I'd have to do a refresher on that since it's been a few years since I studied that.

Answer 10

i've got continuously believed that distinctive people experience Christ's presence in yet in any different case. Even my pastor suggested that it is commonplace for individuals to no longer experience the Holy Spirit interior the comparable way. specific, you've gotten a concept with out the Holy Spirit, yet i've got self belief that a number of those people who have been baptized have been what the bible refers to as "born lower back". they have favourite Christ and his salvation for the 1st time, and that they felt a "replace" come upon them. it truly is probable the wonderful thank you to describe it. on occasion the Holy Spirit is in somebody while God is attempting to convict their hearts for a incorrect carried out, and he has that guy or woman come to a interest some guy or woman or subject. i've got had that take place to me. yet commonly, once you first have self belief, you will experience a transformation come over you. it is commonly the Holy Spirit working on your existence.