Compiled by Dave Bovenmyer
Phillip Kayser, in his book Seven Principles that Call for Infant Baptism, asserts that “Infant baptism of both boys and girls began at the time of Moses” and that “The Old Testament speaks a great deal about baptism.” He also asserts that baptism was a means of re-entering the covenant from which Israelites had been “cut off” because of impurity. He claims that these purification practices should undergird our understanding of New Testament Baptism. In an effort to evaluate this claim the following summary of the ritual purity laws found in the Law of YHWH has been compiled. The summary is followed by a chart, some observations, and a summary. For a listing of all occurrences of the word “unclean” and “cut off from Israel” in the Hebrew Bible see Hebrew Search for Unclean and ESV search for “cut off” and “people” or “Israel”.
Mildew in a house was to be examined by a priest, who quarantined the house for seven days. Contaminated plaster was to be scraped off and disposed of outside the city. If the mildew kept reappearing the house was to be torn down. Anyone who slept in or ate in the house while it was quarantined was to wash his clothes. If the mildew was eradicated and the house pronounced clean, a similar procedure as with the purifying of the leper. One bird was dipped into the blood of the other bird (mixed with water) and the house sprinkled by the live bird. (Lev. 14:33-53).
MILDEWED ARTICLES: Articles of fabric or leather with mildew are to be brought to a priest for examination, set aside for seven days, and then re-examined. If the mildew has spread, it was to be burned. If it had not spread, it was to be washed and set aside for another seven days and handled in one of three ways:
1) If the mildew disappeared, the article was to be washed again and declared clean (Lev. 13:58).
2) If the mildew hadn’t faded, the article was to be burned (Lev. 13:55)
3) If the mildew had faded but not disappeared, the mildewed area was to be cut out and the article declared clean. But if the mildew reappears, it was to be burned (Lev. 13:56-57).
MEAT: Meat that touches anything unclean must be burned (Lev. 7:19).
Emission of semen—Anyone who has an emission of semen must bath his whole body in water and be unclean until evening. If a woman comes in contact with semen, she must also bath in water and be unclean until evening. Any clothing touched by semen must be washed and be unclean until evening (Lev. 15:16-18, 1 Sam 21:4).
Menstruation: Anyone who touches a woman during her period or touches anything she has sat on or laid on — must wash clothes and bath in water and be unclean until evening (Lev. 15:19-24). There is no specific command for the woman to wash her clothes or bath in water, but it is implied and practiced in Israel (Bathsheba—2 Sam 11:4).
CHILDBIRTH: A woman who births a child is unclean as in her period (see below) for seven days (if a boy) or fourteen days (if a girl) (Lev. 12). Forty days (boy) or 80 day (girl) after childbirth, a woman must travel to the temple and present a sin offering and a birth offering. No sprinkling or bathing is required of the woman or the child at the temple (Lev. 12).
BODILY DISCHARGE: A man or woman with a discharge (other than a woman’s regular period) or anyone who has touched a man or woman with a discharge or anything he or she has sat on must wash his clothes and bath himself in water and be unclean until evening(Lev 15:1-15, 25-30). The person with the discharge, once healed, must travel to the sanctuary and offer a burnt offering and a sin offering (no public sprinkling or bathing required).
TOUCHING THE CARCASS OF AN ANIMAL: Anyone who touches the carcass of an unclean animal must wash his clothes and be unclean until evening (Lev. 11:24-28). (Note that they could touch a living unclean animal, such as a dog or cat. Also note that nothing is said about washing themselves, only their clothes.) Any article of clothing, or anything used for any purpose that touches the carcass of an unclean animal must be washed and will be unclean until evening. Any earthenware vessel, stove, or oven touched by the carcass must be broken. Food or water that touches the carcass of an unclean animal must be thrown away (Lev. 11:32-38). Anyone who touches a clean animal that dies by itself must wash his clothes, bathe with water and be unclean until evening. (Lev. 11:39-40, Lev 17:15).- CONTACT WITH A DEAD PERSON: Anyone who touched a dead person or was in a tent when a person died, was unclean for seven days. On the third and seventh day, he was to be sprinkled by a clean person with water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer (the water of impurity). After the seventh day, both the one being purified and the one sprinkling with the “water of impurity” must wash his clothes and bathe in water (Num. 19:11-12). The one who did the sprinkling must wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. Anything or anyone that he touches will be unclean until evening. Those involved with creating the ashes of the red heifer were to wash their clothes and bathe with water (Lev. 19:8-10).
PRIESTS & DEATH: Priests were forbidden to make themselves unclean by being in the presence of a dead person except for their mother, father, son, daughter, brother, or unmarried sister. The high priest must not become unclean even for these (Lev. 21:1-4, 10-12).
PRIESTS DILIGENCE: Priests must be especially vigilant with uncleanness since they dealt with the holy articles of the sanctuary (Lev. 22:1-9). If a priest disregarded the laws of uncleanness, he must be cut off from YHWH’s presence (Lev. 22:3).
SKIN DISEASE: Anyone with a skin disease is to wear torn clothes, let his hair hang loose, cover his mouth, cry out “Unclean, unclean!” and live alone in a place outside the camp as unclean as long as he has the disease (Lev. 13:45-46). After he is declared “clean” by the priest. He is to bring two birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop. One of the birds is slaughtered over fresh water. The bird that is still alive is to be dipped in the blood of the first bird and the blood sprinkled seven times on the person to be cleansed. He must wash his clothes, bathe with water, remain outside his tent for seven days, shave off all his hair before and after the seven days (even eyebrows) and again wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He must then offer three lambs, a grain offering at the entrance of the tent of meeting (less expensive offerings are allowed for the poor). Some of the blood is to be put on the lobe of his right ear, thumb of his right hand, and toe of his right foot. Olive oil must be poured on this left palm and the priest is to sprinkle some of this oil seven times before the YHWH. Oil is to be put on his right ear lobe, right thumb, and right toe. The rest of the oil is dumped on his head (Lev. 14:1-32).- Moral Uncleanness: Practicing sexual sin would cause the land to vomit Israel out (Lev. 18). Consulting mediums or spiritists would bring uncleanness to Israel (Lev. 31). Anyone who became unclean by offering his offspring to Molech must be put to death (Lev. 20:1-7). For many sins, no remedy to become clean is offered. For others a sin or guilt offering is required. A woman suspected of immorality needed to undergo a diagnostic process to see if she had become “unclean.” If so, a curse would pass into her bowls and make her womb swell and thigh fall away. (Num. 5:11-ff). Bloodshed makes the land unclean (Num. 35:34). Idols were unclean and worshiping them made the people and the sanctuary unclean (2 Chron. 29:16, Jer. 2:23, 7:30, Ezek. 20:7, 18, 30-31; 22:3-4; 23:7, 30, 37-39; 36:18; 37:23; )
LAND UNCLEAN: If an executed person is left on the tree overnight, it would make the land unclean (Deut 21:22).
GENTILES: Gentiles were considered unclean and Israelites were not to marry them because of their “impurity and unclean practices” (Ezra 6:21 & 9:11).
Notes:
Ritual impurity resulted from the presence of mildew; contact with semen, blood, or a dead animal or person; and contracting a skin disease.
Ritual impurity is different from moral impurity. None of the situations that require purification for ritual impurity are because of moral or ethical failing. No repentance from sin is required.
In some cases, water was used as a means of cleansing from ritual impurity, most often in the form of private bathing.
The reason given for avoiding unclean food is that God is holy and they must be holy (Lev. 11:44-45).
The reason given for separation from uncleanness is so that they would not die by defiling the tabernacle in their midst. (Lev. 15:31, Ezek. 5:11).
An unclean person was not to touch any of the holy things of the sanctuary or its articles. This included fellowship offerings. Anyone who ate from a fellowship offering while unclean was to be cut off from his people (Lev. 7:21). Being unclean did not require a person to avoid touching items or people or to separate himself from his family or from the community, except in the case of an infectious skin disease.
Nowhere is uncleanness equated with being “cut off.” An unclean person who ate the fellowship offering (Lev. 7:20-21) or an unclean priest who offered an offering of any kind (Lev. 22:3) was to be cut off from his people. This makes it clear that being cut off is a judgment for violating cleanliness law and is not the same as uncleanness. For a list of the use of “cut off” see Cut Off from His People.
Nowhere is it stated or implied that becoming unclean puts a person outside God’s covenant, whether Abrahamic, or Mosaic. Women were not excluded from the covenant every month during their periods. Couples were not excluded from the covenant every time they made love. They were temporarily-unclean covenant members. However, they were not allowed to touch the holy things of God while unclean and anyone who did so would be “cut off” (killed or banished) from God’s people.
No purification with water is prescribed for gentiles wishing to join the community, except for virgins captured in war (Num 31:17-19). The reason these girls were to go through the purification process is unstated, but it is extremely likely that these girls would have been in the presence of a dead person, as all their family members would have been killed. The warriors needed to purify themselves because they had been in the presence of the dead (Num. 31:19-24) and their captives would have needed purification for the same reason.
Forgiveness from moral impurity, when forgivable, always required a blood sacrifice but never involved water.
Almost all purification with water was done in a private washing or bath. None of the public purification solutions involved water by itself. One involved water mixed with blood and another water mixed with ashes.
Leviticus 5:2-3 does not require a sin offering for purification from uncleanness. This passage is part of the instructions for the sin offering for forgiveness. It speaks of sins of omission or negligence, such as failure to speak up as a witness (Lev. 5:2) or failure to fulfill an oath (Lev. 5:4). Being unaware or careless in touching the carcass of an unclean creature (v. 2) or contacting human uncleanness (5:3) and not doing anything about it (perhaps even touching holy things) incurred guilt and required a sin offering. In other words, it seems that uncleanness could usually be quickly and easily remedied by washing or taking a bath. But if someone was unobservant or negligent and later realized this, he was required to offer a sin offering at the temple.
Water was never prescribed for cleansing from moral uncleanness. Where forgiveness could be found, a blood sacrifice was required.
Summary:
Nowhere in the Hebrew Bible is there instruction or example of infants or children being baptized. The only possible argument for Old Testament infant baptism is that anyone who touched a women who was bleeding after childbirth was required to wash their clothes and bathe in water before contacting any holy vessels or partaking of the fellowship offering. This “washing” was not a public ceremony (as is New Testament baptism), but a private bath. The reason there is no mention of an infant needing such a bath is that infants don’t eat fellowship offerings or contact holy vessels. They would certainly have had many baths before being old enough for this.
There is no instruction that converts to Judaism be baptized. Women who were captured when a city was destroyed (and all its males killed) had to take a bath, but that bath was private, unlike New Testament baptism. Male converts must be circumcised, but were not baptized.
It is incorrect to say that ritual impurity caused Israelites to be “cut off” from the covenant community and that washing (taking a bath) reinstated them. Israelites were just as much covenant members whether ritually clean or unclean.- Hebrew ritual cleansing had a very different purpose and practice than New Testament baptism. No washings in the Hebrew Bible resemble New Testament baptism in purpose or form.
Ritual cleansing was private bathing, whereas New Testament baptism was public immersion
Ritual cleansing allowed covenant members to touch holy vessels and partake of the fellowship offering, whereas New Testament baptism symbolized faith, repentance, and inauguration into the covenant community.
Ritual cleansing was never required for moral repentance and forgiveness, whereas New Testament baptism (both John’s baptism and Christian baptism) was an indication of repentance, faith, and forgiveness.
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