Baptism

==Other initiation ceremonies==
{{Main|Initiation}}
Many cultures practice or have practiced initiation rites, with or without the use of water, including the [[ancient Egyptian]], the [[Hebrews|Hebraic]]/Jewish, the [[Babylonia]]n, the [[Maya civilization|Mayan]], and the [[Norsemen|Norse]] cultures. The modern Japanese practice of [[Miyamairi]] is such a ceremony that does not use water. In some, such evidence may be [[archaeology|archaeological]] and descriptive in nature, rather than a modern practice.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

===Mystery religion initiation rites===
Many scholars have drawn parallels between rites from mystery religions and baptism in Christianity. [[Apuleius]], a 2nd-century [[Roman Empire|Roman]] writer, described an initiation into the [[Greco-Roman mysteries|mysteries]] of [[Isis]]. The initiation was preceded by a normal bathing in the public baths and a ceremonial sprinkling by the priest of Isis, after which the candidate was given secret instructions in the temple of the goddess. The candidate then fasted for ten days from meat and wine, after which he was dressed in linen and led at night into the innermost part of the sanctuary, where the actual initiation took place, the details of which were secret. On the next two days, dressed in the robes of his consecration, he participated in feasting.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Apuleius |others=trans. E. J. Kenney |chapter=11.23|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EF44Zv5yFUcC&pg=PA208 |title=The golden ass or Metamorphoses|publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |location=New York City |year=1998 |pages=208–210 |isbn=0-14-043590-5 |oclc=41174027|author-link=Apuleius }}</ref> Apuleius describes also an initiation into the cult of [[Osiris]] and yet a third initiation, of the same pattern as the initiation into the cult of Isis, without mention of a preliminary bathing.<ref>Apuleius, ''The Golden Ass'' (Penguin Books), pp. 211–214</ref> The water-less initiations of Lucius, the character in Apuleius's story who had been turned into an ass and changed back by Isis into human form, into the successive degrees of the rites of the goddess was accomplished only after a significant period of study to demonstrate his loyalty and trustworthiness, akin to [[catechumen]]al practices preceding baptism in Christianity.<ref>{{Cite book|first=Lars |last=Hartman |title=Into the Name of the Lord Jesus: Baptism in the Early Church |url=https://archive.org/details/intonamelordjesu00hart |url-access=limited |publisher=[[T&T Clark]]|location=[[Edinburgh]] |year=1997 |page=[https://archive.org/details/intonamelordjesu00hart/page/n14 4] |isbn=0-567-08589-9 |oclc=38189287}}</ref>

Jan Bremmer has written on the putative connection between rites from mystery religions and baptism:

<blockquote>There are thus some verbal parallels between early Christianity and the Mysteries, but the situation is rather different as regards early Christian ritual practice. Much ink was spilled around 1900 arguing that the rituals of baptism and of the Last Supper derived from the ancient Mysteries, but Nock and others after him have easily shown that these attempts grossly misinterpreted the sources. Baptism is clearly rooted in Jewish purificatory rituals, and cult meals are so widespread in antiquity that any specific derivation is arbitrary. It is truly surprising to see how long the attempts to find some pagan background to these two Christian sacraments have persevered. Secularising ideologies clearly played an important part in these interpretations but, nevertheless, they have helped to clarify the relations between nascent Christianity and its surroundings.<ref>Bremmer, Jan. ''Initiation into the Mysteries of the Ancient World.'' De Gruyter, 2014, 152.</ref></blockquote>

Thus the practice is derivative, whether from Judaism, the Mysteries or a combination (see the reference to Hellenistic Judaism in the Etymology section.)

===Gnostic Catholicism and Thelema===
The [[Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica]], or Gnostic Catholic Church (the ecclesiastical arm of [[Ordo Templi Orientis]]), offers its Rite of Baptism to any person at least 11&nbsp;years old.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oto-usa.org/egc.html |title=US Grand Lodge, OTO: Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica |publisher=Oto-usa.org |date=March 19, 1933 |access-date=February 25, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090305021017/http://oto-usa.org/egc.html| archive-date= March 5, 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref>

===Mandaean baptism===
{{main|Masbuta}}
{{See also|Ritual purification#Mandaeism|Mandaeism}}
[[File:Mandaeans 01.jpg|thumb|[[Mandaeans]] undergoing baptism (''[[masbuta]]'') in the [[Karun]] River, [[Ahvaz]], [[Iran]]]]
[[Mandaeans]] revere [[John the Baptist]] and practice frequent baptism (''[[masbuta]]'') as a [[Ritual purification#Mandaeism|ritual of purification]], not of initiation. They are possibly the earliest people to practice baptism.<ref name=McGrath>{{Citation|last=McGrath|first=James|title=The First Baptists, The Last Gnostics: The Mandaeans|website=YouTube-A lunchtime talk about the Mandaeans by Dr. James F. McGrath at Butler University|date=23 January 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvv6I02MNlc |access-date=3 November 2021}}</ref> Mandaeans undergo baptism on Sundays (''Habshaba''), wearing a white sacral robe (''[[Rasta (Mandaeism)|rasta]]''). Baptism for Mandaeans consists of a triple full immersion in water, a triple ''signing'' of the forehead with water and a triple drinking of water. The priest (''[[Mandaean priest|Rabbi]]'') then removes a [[Klila|ring made of myrtle]] worn by the baptized and places it on their forehead. This is then followed by a handshake (''[[kushta]]'', "hand of truth") with the priest. The final blessing involves the priest laying his right hand on the baptized person's head.<ref name="auto"/>{{rp|102}} ''Living water'' (fresh, natural, flowing water)<ref name="auto"/> is a requirement for baptism, therefore can only take place in rivers. All rivers are named [[Jordan River|Jordan]] (''[[Yardna|yardena]]'') and are believed to be nourished by the ''[[World of Light]]''. By the river bank, a Mandaean's forehead is anointed with [[sesame oil]] (''[[Misha (Mandaeism)|misha]]'') and partakes in a communion of [[Sacramental bread#Mandaeism|bread]] (''[[pihta]]'') and water. Baptism for Mandaeans allows for salvation by connecting with the ''World of Light'' and for forgiveness of sins.<ref>{{Citation|url=https://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/030609/9mandeans_2.htm |title=Mandeans |newspaper=US News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021205653/http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/030609/9mandeans_2.htm |archive-date=October 21, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation | title = Gnostic Ethics and Mandaean Origins | first = Edwin M | last = Yamauchi | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=bBccilWD5n0C&pg=PA20 | publisher = Gorgias Press | year=2004 | isbn = 978-1-931956-85-7 | page = 20}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.mandaeanunion.org/History/EN_History_007.htm |title=History |publisher=Mandean union |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317051057/http://mandaeanunion.org/History/EN_History_007.htm |archive-date=March 17, 2013}}</ref>

===Sethian baptism===
{{main|Five Seals}}
The [[Sethianism|Sethian]] baptismal rite is known as the [[Five Seals]], in which the initiate is immersed five times in running water.<ref name="Pearson">{{cite book|last=Pearson|first=Birger A.|author-link=Birger A. Pearson|title=Ablution, Initiation, and Baptism|chapter=Baptism in Sethian Gnostic Texts|publisher=De Gruyter|date=2011-07-14|doi=10.1515/9783110247534.119|pages=119–144|isbn=978-3-11-024751-0}}</ref>

===Yazidi baptism===
[[File:Baptîzma êzidiyan.jpg|thumb|Baptism of a [[Yazidis|Yazidi]] child in [[Lalish]]]]
[[Yazidism#Religious practices|Yazidi]] baptism is called ''mor kirin'' (literally: "to seal"). Traditionally, Yazidi children are baptised at birth with water from the ''Kaniya Sipî'' ("White Spring") at [[Lalish]]. It essentially consists of pouring holy water from the spring on the child's head three times.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://iranicaonline.org/articles/yazidis-ii-initiation-in-yazidism |url-status=live |title=YAZIDIS ii. INITIATION IN YAZIDISM |access-date=16 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429200244/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/yazidis-ii-initiation-in-yazidism |archive-date=April 29, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Kreyenbroek|first=Philip G.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E4FpDDbrvqkC&pg=PA31|title=Yezidism in Europe: Different Generations Speak about Their Religion|date=2009|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|isbn=978-3-447-06060-8|language=en}}</ref>

===Islamic practice of wudu===
Many Islamic scholars such as Shaikh [[Bawa Muhaiyaddeen]] have compared the Islamic practice of [[wudu]] to a baptism.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bmf.org/shop/four-steps-to-pure-iman/|title=Four Steps to Pure Iman|date=January 1, 1979}}</ref> [[Wudu]] is a practice that Muslims practice to go from ritual impurity to ritual purity. Ritual purity is required for [[Salah]] (praying) and also to hold a physical copy of the [[Quran|Qur’an]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 July 2023 |title=Muwatta Malik 15:2 |url=https://sunnah.com/malik/15/2 |access-date=4 July 2023 |website=Sunnah.com}}</ref> and so wudu is often done before salah. However, it is permissible to pray more than one salah without repeating wudu, as long as ritual purity is not broken, for example by using the bathroom.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 July 2023 |title=iium.edu book 2 |url=https://www.iium.edu.my/deed/lawbase/risalah_maliki/book02.html#:~:text=You%20have%20to%20do%20wudu,or%20not%20with%20a%20sound. }}</ref>

Another similar purification ritual is [[ghusl]], which takes someone from major ritual impurity (janabah) to lesser ritual impurity, which is then purified by wudu. If one is in a state of janabah, both ghusl and wudu are required if one wants to pray.

Although original sin does not exist in Islam, wudu is widely regarded to remove sins. In a [[Hadith terminology|Sahih]] hadith, [[Muhammad]] says "Whenever a man performs his ablution intending to pray and he washes his hands, the sins of his hands fall down with the first drop. When he rinses his mouth and nose, the sins of his tongue and lips fall down with the first drop. When he washes his face, the sins of his hearing and sight fall down with the first drop. When he washes his arms to his elbows and his feet to his ankles, he is purified from every sin and fault like the day he was born from his mother. If he stands for prayer, Allah will raise his status by a degree. If he sits, he will sit in peace."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abuaminaelias.com/dailyhadithonline/2019/07/30/wudu-washes-away-sins/|title=Hadith on Ablution: Sins washed away by first drop of water|first=Abu Amina|last=Elias|date=July 30, 2019}}</ref>

===Baptism in the Yadav community===
[[File:Baptism in Yadavs.jpg|alt=Different activities During process|thumb|Different activities During process]]
People of the [[Yadav]] community of [[Hindu]] religion follow baptism, where it is called Karah Pujan. In this, the person who is being baptized is bathed in boiling [[Milk]]. The newborn baby is also included in this process, in which he is bathed with boiling milk and then he is garlanded with flowers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ratneshballiya/status/1673894764683595778|title=Karah Poojan of Yadavs|first=Ratnesh|last=Singh|date=July 30, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.patrika.com/ballia-news/ballia-news-faith-or-superstition-baby-girl-bathed-with-boiling-milk-8340943/|title=Ballia News : आस्था या अन्धविश्वास, खौलते दूध से बच्ची को नहलाया, कहा- सुख शांति के लिए जरूरी है ये पूजा|first=SAIYED|last=FAIZ|date=July 30, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=451620682538231|title=कराह पूजा या कृष्ण पूजा केवल यूपी के यादव समाज में ही होती है।|first=Anil|last=Yadav|website=[[Facebook]] |date=July 30, 2019}}</ref>