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Or washing, was practised, (13.) When a person was initiated into a higher state: e.g., when Aaron and his sons There were set apart to washings prescribed for the priest's office, they were washed with water previous to their investiture with purpose of cleansing from positive defilement contracted by particular acts. Of such washings eleven different species are prescribed in the priestly robes [[Text:EBD:Levite|Levitical]] law (Lev. 8:612-15).

(24.) Before A fourth class of ablutions is mentioned, by which a person purified or absolved himself from the priests approached guilt of some particular act. For example, the altar [[Text:EBD:Elder|elders]] of God, they the nearest village where some [[Text:EBD:Murder|murder]] was committed were required, on pain of deathwhen the murderer was unknown, to wash their hands over the expiatory [[Text:EBD:Heifer|heifer]] which was beheaded, and their feet in doing so to cleanse them from say, "Our hands have not shed this [[Text:EBD:Blood|blood]], neither have our eyes seen it" (Deut. 21:1-9). So also [[Text:EBD:Pilate, Pontius|Pilate]] declared himself innocent of the soil blood of common life [[Text:EBD:Jesus|Jesus]] by washing his hands (ExMatt. 3027:17-2124). To this This act of Pilate may not, however, have been borrowed from the custom of the [[Text:EBD:Jew|Jews]]. The same practice was common among the Psalmist alludes, Ps. 26[[Text:EBD:6Greek|Greeks]] and Romans.

The [[Text:EBD:Pharisees|Pharisees]] carried the practice of ablution to great excess, thereby claiming extraordinary purity (3Matt. 23:25).Mark (7:1-5) There were washings prescribed for refers to the ceremonial ablutions. The Pharisees washed their hands "oft," more correctly, "with the purpose of cleansing from positive defilement contracted by particular actsfist" (R.V. Of such washings eleven different species are prescribed in , "diligently"), or as an old father, Theophylact, explains it, "up to the Levitical law elbow." (Compare also Mark 7:4; Lev. 126:28; 11: 32-36; 15:22)(See WASHING.)

(4.) A fourth class of ablutions is mentioned, by which a person purified or absolved himself from the guilt of some particular act. For example, the elders of the nearest village where some murder was committed were required, when the murderer was unknown, to wash their hands over the expiatory heifer which was beheaded, and in doing so to say, "Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it" (Deut. 21:1-9). So also Pilate declared himself innocent of the blood of Jesus by washing his hands (Matt. 27:24). This act of Pilate may not, however, have been borrowed from the custom of the Jews. The same practice was common among the Greeks and Romans. The Pharisees carried the practice of ablution to great excess, thereby claiming extraordinary purity (Matt. 23:25). Mark (7:1-5) refers to the ceremonial ablutions. The Pharisees washed their hands "oft," more correctly, "with the fist" (R.V., "diligently"), or as an old father, Theophylact, explains it, "up to the elbow." (Compare also Mark 7:4; Lev. 6:28; 11: 32-36; 15:22) (See WASHING.) {{returnto}} [[Easton's Bible Dictionary]]