By Their Baths You Shall Know Them? Miqva'ot and Baptismal Fonts
as Indicators of Religious Identity
Society of Biblical Literature - Midwest Regional Meeting 2001
American Schools of Oriental Research 2000
Society of Biblical Literature 2000
Miqva'ot, Jewish ritual baths, have often been cited as
a standard indicator of Jewish cultural identity in the Second
Temple and later periods. However, the similarities between miqva'ot
and Christian baptismal fonts may pose problems for this identification.
For instance, we must consider whether miqva'ot can always be
distinguished from baptismal fonts and whether the absence of
one or the other at a particular site always implies that the
related community was not present at that place and time.
Some recent works have discussed the archaeological evidence
for the development of miqva'ot and baptismal fonts. However,
these structures have been treated independently, with little
consideration for their relationship and influence upon each other.
This study will examine structures that have been identified as
miqva'ot and baptismal fonts to see what factors have led to that
identification. Issues such as form, date, and location in areas
identified as either Jewish or Christian will be considered. In
addition, I will look at passages from the Mishnah, Didache, and
other early Jewish and Christian texts to illustrate early understandings
of these practices and structures. I will seek to determine the
usefulness of miqva'ot and baptismal fonts as signs of Jewish
and Christian identity and to consider how the two practices may
have influenced each other over time.
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