Role Of Baptism In Ancient Egyptism

Although the understanding and practice of baptism has changed drastically throughout the years, Christians have been taking part in this religious sacrament from the beginning. From who received baptism to how the water was used, baptism has constantly been transforming. Most people have always seen baptism as “a symbol of salvation and through it they entered into the mystery that Jesus had revealed to them” (147). However, it has played different roles and meant different things to millions of people around the world.
To begin, many people saw various reasons as motives to take part in this religious sacrament. In ancient Egypt, it was common for people to have ritual washings and in Israel it was common to go through a ritual of purification
They were tested by their sponsors to see if they were ready to fulfill their duties and if not, there was no second chance to be baptized. Their process was very elaborate, required much dedication and was very typical during the patristic era. Every Sunday they were exorcized of evil spirits, prayed over, blessed, touched, anointed with oil, and singed with the cross on different parts of their body or blown on by the bishop to reveal the Holy Spirit (152). The process became more intense as the day got closer and were instructed every day during their last week and fasted their last two days of catechumenate. On the day of their baptism, they were stripped naked and placed into the baptismal pool. They were then asked if they believed in God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and each time they said “I do believe”, water was poured over them. After, they were anointed and put into white garments to symbolize they had rid of their sinful ways and were now one with Christ. It was not complete until the bishop placed his hands on them and anointed them one last time after which they would join in the Easter liturgy and receive the Eucharist for the first