Baptism (of Jesus)

[WhiteWings]

Moses=dry baptism.  They passed through on dry land.  They had manna every day but it could not save them.

Joshua=partial baptism.  Water was up to the ankles of the priests.  On the other side, they were circumcised, the second circumcision.

John the Baptist=full baptism, descending of the Holy Spirit, born from above, circumcision of the heart, manna saves them to eternal life.

Ancient dawn bathing Nasarenes used at least three forms of Baptism, or mikveh purifications.


RISHAMA BAPTISM: The first of the miqvah purifications performed is the rishama (signing), the priests presence is not required, such that each man or woman is his or her own priest or priestess. This should be performed daily, and with covered head, just before sunrise after the evacuation of the bowels and before all religious ceremonies.

TAMASHA BAPTISM: The second, the tamasha, is a simple triple immersion in the river, again this is performed without the aid of the priest or priestess. In present Mandean tradition, it must be performed by women after menstruation and after childbirth. Both man and woman must perform this ablution immediately after sexual intercourse, it must be performed after touching a dead body, after nocturnal pollution or any serious defilement or contact with a defiled person, as impurity is contagious - a person touching an unclean person, himself becomes unclean. These practices are related to the ritual purity laws of the Jews and were no doubt taught and practiced to some degree, and after their own fashion, by early Nasarenes (See Clementine Homiless). In the Qumran Temple Scroll, the first of the regulations concerning people who were excluded from the holy temple precincts concerned a man who had a nocturnal emission. He was not permitted to re-enter "until three days have passed. He shall wash his garments and bathe on the first day, and on the third day he shall wash his garments and bathe, and after sunset he shall enter the sanctuary."

MASBUTA BAPTISM: The third ablution, or 'full baptism', encompasses all aspects of baptism and must be performed by a priest or priestess. This ablution is known as masbuta (maswetta) includes the sacraments of oil, bread (known as pihtha) and water (from the river only, known as mambuha), the kushta (the hand grasp and kiss) and the final blessing by laying the right hand of the priest or / and priestess on the head of the baptised person. The masbuta should take place on the first day of the week, in association with major initiations and after major or shameful defilement's. Major sins such as theft, murder, and adultery require more than one baptism.

http://www.essene.com/B'nai-Amen/MysticalImmersion.htm

[WhiteWings]

Many pictures show a long haired Jesus being baptized.


The person to be baptized, having cut his hair and nails, undressed completely, made fresh profession of his faith before what were 'the fathers of the baptism' (our Godfathers, Kethub. 11 a; Erub. 15 a), and then immersed completely, so that every part of the body was touched by the water. The rite would, of course, be accompanied by exhortations and benedictions.
(Maimonides, Hilkh. Milah iii. 4; Hilkh. Iss. Biah xiv. 6).

[lomarah]

That's interesting... have you found any rules for women being baptized? Were they supposed to strip down as well and shave their heads?

[WhiteWings]

No idea.