In Judaism, a mikveh (or sometimes mikvah) is a ritual bath for purification and cleansing to prepare worshippers to enter the temple. The name means “collection of water.” The water must come from a natural source such as a lake, river, lake, ocean, or rain, and must be unmoving, not flowing. The Mishna, the Jewish code of law, defined its requirements. The structure itself had to be square and be entered by descending steps to deeper levels so the person could gradually dip to immerse him or herself for cleansing.
The immersion ritual goes far back in Jewish roots. Every major site I visit in Israel, has mikvehs for worshippers to use before approaching synagogue or temple sites. In early Tent of Moses Tabernacle times, the ceremonial cleansing was originally accomplished at the brazen (bronze) laver.
From the time of John the Baptist, the ceremony changed from cleansing in unmoving water each time the person came to worship to a (usually) once-only baptism immersion in the Jordan River’s muddy moving water instead of in Jerusalem’s religious capital. Baptism became the outward sign the of the believer’s inward forgiveness and removal of sins, confirming their new life within.
At Magdala, the early fishing village on the Sea of Galilee where Mary Magdalene lived, excavations recently revealed a beautifully preserved mikveh. Excellent photos and explanations of it are found at YouTube link https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2227322350983895.
This photo below shows another excellent mikveh at Qumran where the Essenes lived, worshipped, and copied the Dead Sea Scrolls.
At the Lord’s instruction, when Moses led Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land and needed water, he was told to strike the rock once (as a sign of the Lord’s redemption for us), and water gushed out.
When those involved in the School of the Prophets found their water spring undrinkable, the Lord told Elisha to sprinkle salt in the water. The unusable spring became healed and drinkable.
In Bible lands where water is essential to life, the Lord provided water and instructed his followers to immerse in living, flowing streams representing new life in Him rather to remain in static, unmoving waters.
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord.” Isaiah 3:2-4a KJV
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