The next thing O’Connelly had to clarify was the link between the underground water cisterns and the Temple itself, or more specifically the precise reasons behind the need for purification, plunging himself into the complex rites of worship of the ancient Hebrews.
The worship of the Hebrew’s god implied purification and this purification required a constant supply of pure running water according to their religious laws. Thus the theory was that these huge giant cisterns were positioned in cascade upstream of the Temple, so as to provide an unlimited supply of running water to ensure the rites of purification were in strict conformity with the religious principles.
The Sanctuary of the Temple contained the Covenant between God and his Chosen People. Therefore to celebrate the permanent nature of the Covenant, different rituals were established to demonstrate the Jewish people’s commitment to the Covenant. These rituals included purification, sacrifices, offerings and prayers.
These rituals were exercised priests of the family of Moses, that is to say by the descendants of his brother Aaron, who in their duties as priests were aided by the members of the Tribe of Moses, the Levites, who were equally exclusively consecrated to the worship in the Temple.
To be worthy of this Covenant, the Eternal demanded that the Jewish people be ‘pure’ or ‘purified’ as proof of their devotion, their respect of his rules, and their exclusive commitment to him.
Jewish texts were cited by de Lussac providing a list of what was considered as ‘pure’ and ‘impure’, some of which were given in the Book of Leviticus:
When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean.
If a man lies with a woman and there is a seminal emission, they shall both bathe in water and be unclean until evening.
When a woman has a discharge, if her discharge in her body is blood, she shall continue in her menstrual impurity for seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening.
There are animals that are pure and animals that are impure. All direct or indirect contact, with impure animals renders man impure.
All cadavers, human or animal, are impure. All direct or indirect contact, with impure animals renders man impure.
If a man lies with a woman and there is a seminal emission, they shall both bathe in water and be unclean until evening.
The leper and all infectious disease having a bodily manifestation render impure. All direct or indirect contact, with this sick person renders man impure.
Mould on clothing or on the walls of a house rends all contact impure.
Objects and recipients having been in contact with something impure, or having belonged to non-Jews, are impure.
Other human beings, in particular, could be ‘temporarily’ impure, for example:
During menstruation
Men and woman having had a sexual discharge, normal or abnormal, or have had sexual relations
Persons affected by skin disease including lepers, and those having had sexual relations
Those persons having committed a grave moral fault
All contact with an impure person also rendered the Jew impure.
Human beings, temporarily impure, could be purified by the appropriate rites.
The same goes for certain objects, recipients, homes or places that could have been rendered temporarily impure and could also be purified by the appropriate rites.
Different methods of purification had been decreed by Moses. The purpose of all purification was to allow the person who had become temporarily impure to return to the community so that he could again take part in the sacred rituals of the Temple.
The Lord also spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying:
Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, so that they will not die in their uncleanness by their defiling my tabernacle that is among them.
There was relatively little information concerning the system of purification with running water as it was practised in the Temple of Jerusalem. However, Jewish texts provided some information relative to these rituals.
The Jew, who became impure by direct contact with an impure person, or by contact with an impure animal or object, or by eating an impure food, had to undergo a complex purification process so as to be readmitted to the Temple and the community.
The purification of Jews having become impure went from simple washing of the body and clothes to the total immersion of their naked body in the running waters of a spring. For lesser impurity, purification was carried out in the evening at sunset. Concerning impurity over a period of time, such as in the case of menstruation or following birth or illness, several days or even weeks were prescribed before purification could be definitely pronounced and celebrated by a priest.
Other forms of purification were carried out by the sprinkling with holy oil and or the blood of an animal sacrificed in the sanctuary by a priest with the impure person standing outside of the Tent of Meeting. Then there was the sprinkling of the impure person with purifying water by the priest, this water included the ashes of the Red Heifer, which had been sacrificed and burnt. Purification was also carried out by destruction, fire or washing with the immersion of recipients, objects or places that had become impure.
The most complete and demanding ritual concerning the integral process of purification by water was given in details relative to a man having an infection of his sexual organs.
The Lord also spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them:
This, moreover, shall be his uncleanness in his discharge: it is his uncleanness whether his body allows its discharge to flow or whether his body obstructs its discharge.
Every bed on which the person with the discharge lies becomes unclean, and everything on which he sits becomes unclean.
Anyone, moreover, who touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening, and whoever sits on the thing on which the man with the discharge has been sitting, shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening.
Also whoever touches the person with the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening.
Now when the man with the discharge becomes cleansed from his discharge, then he shall count off for himself seven days for his cleansing; he shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in running water and will become clean. Then on the eighth day he shall take for himself two turtle doves or two young pigeons, and come before the Lord to the doorway of the tent of meeting and give them to the priest and the priest shall offer them, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the Lord because of his discharge.
Now if a man has a seminal emission, he shall bathe all his body in water and be unclean until evening.
As for any garment or any leather on which there is seminal emission, it shall be washed with water and be unclean until evening.
If a man lies with a woman and there is a seminal emission, they shall both bathe in water and be unclean until evening.
When a woman has a discharge, if her discharge in her body is blood, she shall continue in her menstrual impurity for seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening.
Thus the notion of purification by ‘running water’ was established and defined in Hebrew as mayim hayyim, gushing directly from a natural spring, as opposed to ‘drawn water’ or mayim she’uvim, that is water removed from its natural source and flow, meaning conveyed by the hand of man.
The word mikveh designated a bath, natural or man made, for ritual bathing, by total immersion in living spring waters, without the direct intervention by man in the flow of the purifying waters.
Thus this was how the purification ritual acquired its sacred ritual character, culminating in the Temple of Jerusalem on the Day of Atonement for the purification of all Israel, when the sins committed by all Jews were atoned for.
There were six degrees in the class
ification of mikvehs, these included bathing under falling rain, in well water, hot springs and running spring water, the most pure was spring water mixed with the ashes of the Red Heifer. However, water drawn from wells had a lower degree of purity compared to running spring water.
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The Trust