John the Baptist Prepares the Way
Baptism
MIKVAH Mikvah (Alternately מִקְוָה, miqwah; feminine; mikveh (מִקְוֶה, miqweh, masculine); mikvot (מִקְווֹת, miqwoth; plural); and mikva’ot (מִקְוָאוֹת, miqwa'oth; plural). A term with various meanings derived from the Hebrew verb קוה (qwh) (qwh), “to gather or assemble.”
Introduction
Mikvah and its cognates have three principle meanings:
1. In the Old Testament, they simply refer to a gathering of water.
2. Beginning with the second century BC, they refer to human-made stepped baths used to restore one’s condition (or belongings) from unclean (tame’) to clean (tahor). Mikveh and mikvah are used interchangeably in modern literature with reference to this structure. (Depending on how the Hebrew is transliterated, one may also find the spelling with a “q” instead of a “k”; e.g., miqveh; additionally one may also find a “w” instead of a “v”; e.g., mikweh.)
3. The plural form is used for the title of the tractate Mikva’ot in the Mishnah and Tosefta, which presents rabbinic discussion related to the latter meaning (e.g., its characteristics, nature, and when it is effectual).
There is a secondary meaning (not discussed here) of the Hebrew verb qwh and the associated noun miqveh, which is “to hope” and “hope,” respectively.
