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Baptism

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ath). Then they did Kiddush Yadayim V'Raglayim. This involved the<br />

washing of the hands and feet with water from the Kiyor. The Kiyor was a<br />

copper vessel with ten spouts. Standing next to the spouts, the Kohain would<br />

place his hands on his feet and while the water was flowing, he would gently<br />

rub his feet with his hands. Optionally, the Kohain could use a vessel<br />

containing water from the Kiyor. This was the method used by the Kohain<br />

Gadol on Yom Kippur.”<br />

These Jewish ritual details (with the figure above) can be read from the<br />

following site.<br />

http://www.sci.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~mtwersky/<br />

2<br />

Proselytizing <strong>Baptism</strong><br />

CONVERSION<br />

When a non-Jew became a Jew baptism in a river was practiced as an<br />

initiation ceremony. This must have started after the conquest of Canaan,<br />

because in Jacob's story only circumcision was considered necessary to<br />

incorporate another tribe into Jewish tribe. (The Reform and Reconstructionist<br />

movements of modern Judaism generally do not require a circumcision as part<br />

of the conversion process. But they insist on immersion) These were oral<br />

traditions handed down through generations and there are varying traditions in<br />

practice. These traditions were written down between the third and the fifth<br />

centauries, which forms the Talmud.<br />

Babylonian Talmud describes the baptism procedure as follows:<br />

Gerim 1.1-5 (http://religion.rutgers.edu/iho/supplements)<br />

He who wants to be a proselyte is not received right away. They<br />

say to him:<br />

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