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THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

required to wash bauds and feet therein upon entrance (Ex. xxx. 18-21). The high priest on the solemn Day of Atonement was required to bathe himself repeatedly in token of spiritual purification (Lev. xvi. 24) while the messenger who took away the sin-laden scapegoat (ib. verse 26), as well as other attendants at the rite (verse 28), was required to bathe and be clean after contact with the sin-offerings of the day. For various other cases requiring Bathing as a purificative rite, see Ablution. Cognate with the idea of purification prior to appearing before God is naturally that of cleansing oneself before visiting a king or person of prominence (Ruth iii. 3; Judith x. 3). Possibly something of the religious aspect of the practise obtained, in addition to the material one of bodily refreshment, when washing the hands and feet was performed before meals (Gen. xviii. 4, xix. 2; Luke vii. 44). The dusty soil of Palestine and the customary open footgear (sandals) necessitated the frequent Bathing or washing of the feet (Gen. xxiv. 32, xliii. 24; Judges xix. 21; I Sam. xxv. 41; II Sam. xi. 8; Song

Solomon v. 3). For all purposes of Bathing, the streams and ponds constituted the usual resort (II Kings v. 10) possibly the rain-water supply held by the cisterns in large cities may have been utilized to some extent for Bathing purposes, as in II Kings xi. 2, although, as Benzinger (I.e.) observes, no traces of bath-rooms have been found in the houses of the people or even in royal palaces. In Babylon there were possibly bathing-pools in the gardens (Susanna 15), though this passage may refer to simple washing in the open air. It was only when later intercourse brought the Jews into contact with Greek civilization that pubof



lic

Public BathHouses.

Baths were instituted

origin of such

is



the Hellenic

clearly discernible in

such Talmudical words as ^2, N3^3, nVJ^a. •Hjfa (denoting " bathing-master," "bathing-attendant," "bathingtowel," etc., derived from the Greek balaneion; sec Jastrow, "Dictionary," for citations). Some reminiscence of the older custom of utilizing rivers and streams for Bathing purposes is preserved, at least

Bathori

Bathyra

the Jews, as Jews, from the ritual standpoint only; first cares of every community was

and one of the

to maintain the "

The Mikweh.

called.

The

mikweh, " as it was purificative bath ordained

in Lev. xv. 19-33 was always held to be one of the most essential of observ-

ances and great stress was laid upon its punctual observance by the women, the above-named requisites of running water and sufficient volume being carefully provided. Indeed, the repeated prohibitions against Jews or Jewesses Bathing in the rivers (see Abrahams, "Jewish Life in the Middle Ages," p. 73, note) necessitated the provision of a special bath-house. The oldest mikweh now existing seems to be that of Andernach, near Coblenz, Germany

(see Andernach, where a good typical description of the mikweh is given). For diagrams (section and plan) of the similar institution at Speyer, see Meyer's

"Konversations-Lexikon," 5th Bibliography

ed.,

ii.

311. plate

ii.

Benzinprer, Hehriiische Arckiialngir, pp. 108. 168, Freiburg in Baden, 18!U ; Spitzer, Baden unci Bader bei

den Allen Hchruc.rn, A-

1SX4.

F.

BATHYRA

DE

S.

M.

Fortress and city founded by Zamaris, a distinguished Jew of Babylon, who about the year 20 crossed the Euphrates with 500 mounted archers,



and requested a dwelling-place from the

Roman governor of Syria, Cn. Sentius.Saturninus. When Herod the Great learned of this expedition, he assigned to the troop a piece of land in the toparchy of Batanea, and in this way Zamaris founded the city of Bathyra, which he garrisoned. As freedom from taxation was granted to the colony, many people immediately settled there. The fort not only protected the Jews living in Trachonitis, but at the same time safeguarded the pilgrims going from Babylon to Jerusalem against the attacks of the Traehonites. When the Romans got possession of the land, they respected the authority of the regent, but taxed the people. The brave Zamaris left an equally distinguished son, Jacimus; and the latter's son Philip formed a. friendship with Agrippa the younger, and held a

command

of 144 eggs; according to Yoma 31a, the cubic contents of a space one cubit wide, three cubits long, and one cubit deep, the bulk of the average human body). Some bath-houses were artificially heated (Yer. Ber. ix. 14A). Some idea of the value set upon Bathing in Talmudical times

in his army ("Ant." xvii. 2, § 3). When the revolution in Jerusalem threatened to break out, Agrippa sent the hipparchus Darius and the strategus Philip with 2,000 horse, among whom were some Batanians, to restrain the people ("B. J." ii. The Zealots carried the day, and Philip 17, § 4). was glad to escape in disguise (Josephus, in his " Vita," xi., has a more correct and detailed account than in "B. J." ii. 18, § 6). Fortunately for him, he was seized with a. fever in a village under his control near Gamala, probably in territory belonging to Bathyra. Had he proceeded to Cresarea Philippi,

may be

over which Varus had been appointed governor by

Lam.

Agrippa when the latter went to Berytus (not to Antiochia), Varus (not Noares, as in "B. J."), who had designs upon the kingdom, would certainly have put Philip to death as a faithful adherent of

for the religious or ritual bath, in the ruling regulation that all such Baths must be taken in water that

continually running and of the minimum capacity of 40 seahs, about 120 gallons (according to Num. R. xviii., the seah [= 3 gallons 700 cubic inches] is

=

was the cubic measure

gained from the remarkable comment on 17, "I forgat that which is good" (A. V. "prosperity"), according to which the especial " good " neglected and referred to by the prophet was the use of the bath-house (Shab. 25b). The benefits of the warm Baths of Emmaus ("Hammath"), near Tiberias (Josephus, "Ant." xviii. 2, § 3) at Callirrhoe, near the Dead Sea (ib. xvii. 6, § 5) and at Gadara, in Persea, were known and appreiii.



ciated.

In medieval times, Bathing naturally concerned

Agrippa. Varus, however, entrapped Philip's countrymen, the Babylonians of Bathyra (the editions have "Ekbatana"), killing seventy of them. The inhabitants of Bathyra took up arms, and went with their wives and children to Gamala, a little further north,