PRE-CHRISTIAN BAPTISM BY JEWISH ADHERENTS

One of the markers that is easily identifiable among Israel in her scattered form is the odd/unique ritual of baptism.

I grew up under the assumption that this was something that Jesus had re-instated (we know Adam was baptized by the Holy Ghost) as a Christian principle as he went down to the River Jordan where John the Baptist was performing the ordinance. Then I learned about the Dead Sea scrolls that talked of the Essenes performing these rituals many years before the coming of Christ. That would make it a pre-Christian ordinance that had its roots in prior traditions. Then I began noticing what looks like fonts in archealogical sites of just about every culture where it we know the Israelites were scattered to including ancient America, Polynesia, India, Egypt, etc. I will post pics of them as I have time.

Then tonight, my Jewish friend told me his synagogue in India has a baptismal font out in front of it big enough that a person could be fully immersed in it - a true baptismal font - not a laver for ritual washing, but one big enough to have a stair case in order to fully descend and ascend from it. I have tried in vain to find a picture of that. Turns out, when Nephi/Lehi were driven out of Jerusalem, this Indian Jew's ancestors also fled Jerusalem and ended up ship-wrecked in India. They carried the traditions of the Jews from the 600BC period with them. Those included full ritual baptism before joining the faith and for other reasons.

SO, THEY HAD THE TRUTH - AND THE SPLINTER GROUPS (INCLUDING JESUS/JOHN THE BAPTIST) WERE ATTEMPTING TO RE-INSTATE WHAT HAD BEEN LOST THROUGH WICKEDNESS, ETC.

Here is something from Wikipedia on ritual baptism:

Full-body immersion

There are several occasions on which biblical or rabbinical regulations require immersion of the whole body, referred to as tevilah. Depending on the circumstances, such ritual bathing might require immersion in "living water" - either by using a natural stream or by using a mikveh (a specially constructed ritual bath, connected directly to a natural source of water, such as a spring).

This article discusses the requirements of immersion in Rabbinic Judaism and its descendents. Some other branches of Judaism, such as Falasha Judaism, have substantially different practices including the requirement of an actual spring or stream.

Conversion to Judaism

Traditional Judaism requires converts into Judaism to immerse themselves fully in water in a mikveh or body of "living water."

I asked my Jewish friend if other modern Israeli Jews practice this full immersion practice of baptism or cleansing and he said "NO". Anywhere that you are aware of?? His answer was again no! Mind boggling - and a clear sign that there was clear apostasy on at least that one doctrinal point between 600AD and the time Christ came. I am not sure, but the same may be said of the implementation of the Sacrament (bread and wine) among the pre-diasporatic Jews - the subject of my earlier blog piece of going to Sabbath prayers with my Jewish friend.

Here is another "font" of knowledge from a site dedicated to the practice of baptism among the Jews:

CLICK LINK FOR MIKVEH (BAPTISM)TRADITIONS AMONG JEWS