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Hemerobaptists (Greek: 'day bathers') were a Jewish sect mentioned by some early Christian writers.^[1]^[2] They were known for their daily ritual baptisms for purification, distinct from mainstream Jewish practices of ritual immersion. They are considered one of several minor Jewish sects, including the Bana'im and the Maghāriya.^[3]

Historical references

Hegesippus mentions seven sects of the Jews, one of them was the Hemerobaptists.^[4] The sect was also mentioned by Justin Martyr referring to them as "baptizers".^[3]

In his work "Panarion" (also known as "Against Heresies"), 4th century heresiologist Epiphanius of Salamis described the Hemerobaptists as Jews in every sense, but unlike other sects, they believed that eternal life could only be attained if a person was baptized every day.^[3]^[2] In the Clementine Homilies (ii. 23), John the Baptist and his disciples are mentioned as Hemerobaptists.

Scholarly analysis

Scholars have suggested a potential identification of the Hemerobaptists with the Tovelei Shaharit (Hebrew: טובלי שחרית, lit. 'morning bathers') mentioned in the Tosefta, though this connection is unclear, and the latter group might have been an extreme faction within the Pharisaic tradition.^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]

Multiple scholars highlight the similarity between the Hemerobaptists and the Essenes, a Jewish sect that flourished during the late Second Temple period. Josephus wrote that the Essenes insisted on daily immersion for purification, likely just before noon (Antiquities 2.129), and the concepts of purity and sanctity of water are also mentioned in the "Community Rule" (1QS) iii.4-9, iv.21, v.13-14 and other texts, while another similarity arises from the description in the "Apostolic Constitutions": the communal meal of the Qumran community is referred to as "Taharah" in the Dead Sea Scrolls.^[10]

Although the association of the Hemerobaptists with John the Baptist is not widely accepted, the Hemerobaptists have been linked to the Mandaeans due to their shared practice of frequent baptism, and Mandaeans believing they are disciples of John the Baptist.^[11]^[12]^[13] John's followers may later have been absorbed into the early Christian church, although according to one theory, some may have gone to the Mandaeans in Lower Mesopotamia.^[3]

References

^ Dorff, Elliot N.; Rossett, Arthur (2012-02-01). Living Tree, A: The Roots and Growth of Jewish Law. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-1-4384-0142-3.
^ ^a ^b Stuckenbruck, Loren T.; Gurtner, Daniel M. (2019-12-26). T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism Volume Two. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-0-567-66095-4.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Minor Sects". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
^ Ferguson, Everett (2009-03-23). Baptism in the Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8028-2748-7.
^ Tosefta Yadayim 2:9, 2:20 [1]
^ Judith R. Baskin: Ablution. Encyclopaedia Judaica 2008 [2]: “The tovelei shaḥarit ("morning bathers") mentioned in Tosefta Yadayim 2:20 perhaps may be identified with the latter [= hemerobaptists] but more likely were an extreme group within the general Pharisaic tradition”
^ Herbert W. Basser, Marsha B. Cohen: The Gospel of Matthew and Judaic Traditions. A Relevance-based Commentary. Koninklijke Brill, Leiden 2015, ISBN 978-90-04-29178-2, auf mis.kp.ac.rw [3] hier S. 73, Fußnote 3
^ Saul Lieberman: Light on the Cave Scrolls from Rabbinic Sources. Proceedings of the American Academy for Jewish Research, (1951) 20, 395, doi:10.2307/3622176 hier S. 401
^ Elliot N. Dorff, Arthur Rossett: Living Tree. A: The Roots and Growth of Jewish Law. Suny Press, New York 1987, S. 179, mit Verweis auf: Tosefta Jadajim, Ende; Berachot, 22a.
^ Lawrence H. Schiffman and James C. Vanderkam, Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Oxford University Press (2000). Vol. 1, pp. 352-353
^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Hemerobaptists" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 257.
^ Drower, Ethel Stefana (1953). The Haran Gawaita and the Baptism of Hibil-Ziwa. Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana.
^ Kohler, Kaufmann. "Hemerobaptists". Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved 9 November 2021.