In the late Second Temple period (2nd century BCE and onwards), religious devotion in Judea placed increasing emphasis on ritual purity, especially in connection with the Temple in Jerusalem. To meet this need, a unique type of man-made water installation was developed—the miqweh. The miqweh was carefully constructed to meet specific religious requirements, and has remained central to Jewish practice across centuries and throughout the Jewish diaspora.

This lecture will explore what makes the miqweh distinct from a simple bathtub or cistern, how it functioned in daily and religious life, and how certain aspects of the miqweh tradition influenced the development of Christian baptism.

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