medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
I didn't mean to set off this sort of discussion! The evidence I had in
mind is pre-Rabbinic, and has no obvious association with any mikva-type
structures. These are simply wells, in conjunction with "worship"
(and/or burial) locations. I don't know how "typical" this is for the
early (Greco-Roman) period, for which evidence is relatively scarce in any
event.
Bob
> Sharon, indeed men do use a mikva. Even today there are men who immerse
every > day before prayers (some only on the Sabbath and holidays). And
many immerse > before Yom Kippur. At the same time, I think Mikvas found
adjacent to > synagogues may have been used by women. And I am not sure
that women were not > permitted to enter the synagogue before immersion. I
do know that immersion in > the mikva following menstruation is considered
so important in Jewish tradition > that in a town where there are
insufficient resources, one is required to build > a mikva before a
synagogue. > Feige
> > Sharon Dale wrote: > > > medieval-religion:
Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture > > > > Tom, I am
not sure that it would have been a mikva since Jewish women who go > > to
the ritual baths after menstruation are not permitted in the synagogue > >
until after visiting the bath. At least I THINK that this is the sequence.
> > So, it seems unlikely that a mikva would be located IN a synagogue.
But, I > > do think there is some tradition (and I confess I should know
this) of men > > washing their hands before some prayers. all best, Sharon
> > > > Sharon Dale Ph.D.
> > > > > > I suspect it would be for a mikva
(ritual bath). > > > Tom Izbicki
> > > > > > > >It may be of interest, for this
thread, that wells have also been found > > in > > > >some early Jewish
synagogues and/or meeting places (e.g. Ostia near Rome, > > > >and at
least one of the Jewish catacombs in Rome). All this may, of > > >
>course, be quite coincidental. > > > > > > > >Bob > > > > > > > >-- > >
> >Robert A. Kraft, Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania > > >
--
Robert A. Kraft, Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania
227 Logan Hall (Philadelphia PA 19104-6304); tel. 215 898-5827
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http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/kraft.html
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