“Dirty hands” are one of the main reasons for high child mortality in Asia and Africa. It is through dirty hands that pathogens of diseases such as cholera, viral pneumonia, hepatitis, influenza and ARVI enter the human body.
A study by US scientists showed that on average we carry more than 4,700 types of bacteria on our hands.Most infections occur because people do not wash their hands. And you need to wash them before eating, after using the toilet, after contact with animals or sick people, after traveling in transport.
Due to the fact that people rarely wash their hands, apartments turn into hotbeds of infection, because germs accumulate on door handles, switches, table surfaces, in bathrooms and toilets, on clothes, on towels and on bed linen.
It is dirty hands that are the most common reason development of stomach and intestinal infections.
How to wash your hands correctly?
The most common mistake is when a person with dirty hands takes the handle of a water tap, opens it, washes his hands and closes it. As a result, all the dirt from the faucet handle remains on your hands.
The overall effectiveness of this hygiene procedure depends on whether you wash your hands correctly.
How to wash your hands:
Open the tap
- soap your hands,
- lather the faucet handle with soap,
- wash off the soap from the tap handle and hands,
- soap your hands again - wash the inside and back of your hands,
- don’t forget about your nails - try to “rub” the soap under them,
- rub the soap for at least 30 seconds,
- wash off the soap,
- Close the tap,
- use a towel.
Hands must be washed:
Without everything - be sure to remove jewelry from your hands, which needs to be washed separately.
With soap. Soap molecules themselves do an excellent job of removing dirt.
With foam - the more soap foam there is, the cleaner the skin will become. Foam is an air bubble surrounded by films of soap molecules, which are “dirt cleaners.” That is, the foam mechanically removes dirt.
With plenty of water - because after rubbing your hands with soap, you need to rinse off the foam as thoroughly as possible with water. Water will wash away not only dirt, but also soap film.
You should not often use bactericidal soap, which is popular thanks to advertising - it removes everything from the skin indiscriminately, that is, not only pathogenic microbes, but also beneficial ones that protect the body from the introduction of harmful microorganisms. Therefore, it is possible and necessary to wash the skin with bactericidal soap only when and in those places when wounds, abrasions, cracks, cuts and other damage appear.
If you have allergies or very delicate skin, you should not use soap with additives. In this case, it is recommended to wash with baby soap, which is made using a special method.
If your skin is oily, you can use any cosmetic or toilet soap.
In any case, when buying soap, carefully study the packaging to know whether it is natural or synthetic.
Synthetic soap washes the skin too well, washing away absolutely the entire layer of sebum, so it is not suitable for dry skin.
We have all been taught since childhood that we need to wash our hands before eating, but many still do not understand why this is necessary. Guys, are you really so naive and think that between meals you don’t have time to contaminate the surface of your hands and not pick up a lot of germs that can make you sick? Let's think sensibly:
Diseases from dirty hands:
You need to wash your hands so as not to get sick! Diseases that can be picked up from unwashed hands: Hepatitis, Cholera, Typhoid fever or ordinary Dysentery, which is popularly called the “disease of dirty hands”. Is it really difficult for you to wash your hands and not hear these scary names?
In addition to the likelihood of contracting diseases, you should understand that you should not touch your face with dirty hands - you can very easily get irritation or a skin disease. The likelihood of occurrence also increases.
And, in general, dirty hands and nails are simply not aesthetically pleasing and ugly! You need to understand for yourself that you need to wash your hands on time and thoroughly and instill cleanliness in your children.
How to wash your hands correctly:
In order to wash your hands properly, you don’t need to be a genius, you just need to thoroughly wash the entire surface of your hands.
- First, roll up your sleeves, if you have them;
- Then wet your hands and soap them until foam appears. You can and even need to rub hand in hand;
- Next, take the time to wash your hands, between your fingers, palms, and wrists;
- Then thoroughly rinse off the dirty soap suds and wipe your hands dry with a towel or napkin;
That's all - your hands are clean =)
Why do children need to wash their hands?
The most dangerous thing is when a child is sick. You can get sick very easily – just by not washing your child’s hands once. The consequences can be very complex. Therefore, parents should not forget not only about their hygiene, but also about the cleanliness of their baby’s hands.
Washing a child’s hands is quite difficult, especially if he is afraid of water, so it is worth teaching your child to wash his hands from a very young age. It is necessary to explain to the child that this procedure is mandatory and very useful. Set an example for your child and encourage him in every possible way when he starts washing his hands.
If you start teaching your child to wash his hands independently from the age of one, then by the age of 2 you will be able to observe how your baby skillfully copes with soap, water and dirt on his hands.
Take your time to quickly see the results of your work. Try to constantly check how well your child’s hands are washed, because children only need to eat once with unwashed hands without getting sick, and then your tales about terrible diseases will no longer have weight for them and they will forget about washing their hands more and more often.
Here is a video on how to wash your hands:
Sending a child to kindergarten, school, summer camp, make sure that normal hygienic conditions are maintained there. Otherwise, give your child wet wipes with you and strictly instruct them to use them before meals and after using the toilet.
September 15 is World Handwashing Day, designed to remind adults of the importance of handwashing. On this day, it is customary to teach children how to wash their hands correctly, explain to them why, how to wash their hands and when to do it. For this day, we have prepared a short cheat sheet for concerned parents.
Why wash your hands
Hand washing is an effective hygiene procedure that prevents the spread of pathogens of various diseases.
Studies conducted in schools and closed groups show that proper hand washing can reduce the risk of intestinal infections (including hepatitis A, dysentery, etc.) by 50-60% and respiratory infections by 15-25%. including influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections). Children who are taught to wash their hands get sick much less often and miss less school than their less clean classmates.
A universal habit of washing hands before eating and after using the toilet could cut deaths from diarrhea by half and reduce deaths from respiratory diseases by a quarter.
Hand washing has wide range protective effect and therefore works better than targeted vaccination.
When to wash your hands
Be sure to wash your hands:
- before eating;
- before cooking;
- before serving food;
- after visiting the toilet;
- after city transport and shopping;
- after handling money;
- upon returning home from somewhere;
- after cleaning the apartment;
- after contact with animals and their waste;
- after you have sneezed, coughed (covering your mouth with your hand) or blown your nose;
- before and after treating wounds or carrying out medical and hygienic procedures (for example, before giving a massage to a child or after changing a diaper), providing assistance to a sick relative;
- before inserting contact lenses and dentures;
- after contact with waste;
- when hands are obviously dirty.
How to wash your hands correctly
To wash your hands thoroughly, you first need to remove all jewelry from them: rings, watches, bracelets - and roll up your sleeves. While washing your hands, take a moment Special attention fingertips, interdigital spaces and the space under the nails - these are the places where germs accumulate the most, don’t forget about your wrists.
Rub thoroughly, then rinse with water and soap again - repeated soaping removes germs from the pores that open during hand washing. Pay attention to your leading hand - as a rule, it is washed worse.
Do not forget that you need to wash your hands for at least 20-30 seconds in running water - only in this case the number of pathogens on the skin of your hands is significantly reduced.
If the public toilet has a single-handle faucet, turn the water off with the back of your hand or forearm. If you are at home, do not forget to rinse the faucet handles with soap when washing your hands.
How to wash your hands
To wash your hands, do not turn on too hot water. Although intuitively it seems that it is better at getting rid of germs, this is not the case. Hot water washes away the fatty layer, which dries out the skin of the hands and opens up access for bacteria. You need to wash your hands with water at a comfortable temperature.
You should not use antibacterial soap when washing your hands - it kills not only pathogenic, but also beneficial bacteria that are constantly present on the skin of your hands.
In addition, with prolonged use of antibacterial soap, microorganisms develop resistance to its components. For daily hand washing, regular toilet soap is sufficient. Moreover, it is better to give preference to liquid soap. If the soap is hard, you need to make sure that it is in a dry soap dish.
You need to dry your hands with a clean, fresh towel. It is advisable that adults and children have different hand towels. They need to be changed every day.
Among the “standard” accusations of absurdity in the Bible, a prominent place is occupied by bewilderment about Jesus and the apostles eating food with “unwashed” hands.(Gospel of Matthew 15:1-20, Gospel of Mark 7:1-8, Gospel of Luke 11:38-39). Additionally, biblical critics accuse Jesus of verbiage and rudeness, because... in response to the remark of the Pharisees and scribes - the teachers of Israel!(John 3:10)- Instead of thanking for a fair remark and obeying generally accepted rules, he staged an impartial dispute on the topic of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.
By objecting to their opponents, Christian apologists, as a rule, without noticing it themselves, confirm both the “dirty” hands and the “distortion” of the topic by Jesus, and then begin to look for excuses for His deviant behavior. It turns out that breaking hygiene rules is not a sin; calling a person a blind leader, a hypocrite, full of theft and deceit does not at all mean to insult him, etc. Unfortunately, such a flat, superficial approach to biblical texts is not uncommon.
In fact, the Pharisees’ question was not even about the need to disinfect hands before eating. Thorough hand washing before eating and generally observing sanitary standards is not only consistent with biblical provisions, these are the requirements of the Bible. Rules of personal hygiene and other recommendations for maintaining health are contained in abundance in both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus could not challenge them and oppose the Law.
Jesus had very little time. Now we know about this too. His entire ministry, starting from Cana of Galilee and ending with the cross on Calvary, is a continuous, extremely concentrated series of the most important events that determined the course of the entire subsequent history of mankind. The ideas conveyed to humanity by Jesus are applicable in any time, in any geography, under any circumstances, in any social and cultural environment. His every word or deed is gold, an extract, the quintessence of God's revelation, they are all multifaceted and multifaceted. To do so much in so little time, Jesus gave up everything extraneous. For the sake of preaching God's commandments, He rejected "all the kingdoms of the world and their glory" (Matthew 4:8-10 and also Luke 4:5-8), abandoned home, family (Matthew 12:49; Mark 3:34), forbade students to be distracted even for the funeral of relatives: “Let the dead bury their dead, and you go and preach the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60; also Matthew 8:22).
Being a prophet, the very Word of God, existing "from the beginning of the world" (Hebrews 9:26), Jesus probably knew that not only the Pharisees, all generations of Christians and their opponents would look at His every word and every action under a microscope. He could not help but realize His importance and responsibility.
Jesus could not afford idle chatter. In this episode, to a direct question “Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?” (Matthew 15:2; also Mark 7:5) He, as always, gave a direct, laconic and extremely accurate answer: “You, having abandoned the commandment of God, hold to the tradition of men” (Matthew 15:3, Mark 7:8).
A fair share of the Mosaic Law consists of recommendations for maintaining the physical health of both each person individually and the whole nation.
This is the law on clean and unclean food (Leviticus 11:1-47; Deuteronomy 14:3-21), ban on eating animal fat and offal (Leviticus 3:3-5, 9-11, 14-17; 7:23), commands to refuse being strangled and torn to pieces by a beast (Exodus 22:31; Leviticus 7:24; 17:15-16), a categorical ban on eating animal blood (Leviticus 3:17; 7:26-27; 17:10-14; 19:26; Deuteronomy 12:16) and other instructions about proper nutrition. These are instructions on a seven-day work rhythm with six working days and one mandatory day off (Exodus 16:23-30; 20:8-11; 31:13-17; 35:2-3; Leviticus 23:3-4; Deuteronomy 5:12-15, etc.), “so that your servant and your maidservant may rest, just like you” (Deuteronomy 5:14). This is a whole range of diagnostic, preventive and anti-epidemiological measures, a set of personal hygiene rules (Leviticus 12:1 - 15:33; 17:15-16; Numbers 19:1-22; 31:19-42; Deuteronomy 23:12-13, etc.), as well as instructions for priests and Levites on ritual hygiene (Exodus 30:18-38; Leviticus 22:3-8). This is a strict regulation of sexual life: a ban on marriages between close relatives (Leviticus 18:6-17), allowing sexual intercourse only in legal marriage, prohibiting sex during menstruation, prohibiting homosexuality, bestiality (Leviticus 20:10-21, etc.) etc.
The Old Testament prophets enriched the Mosaic Law with a mass of new recommendations and warnings. For example: “It is good for you, land, when... your princes eat at the right time, for reinforcement, and not for satiety!” (Ecclesiastes 10:17); “Don’t look at the wine, how it turns red, how it sparkles in the cup, how it flows smoothly: later, like a snake, it will bite, and sting like an asp.” (Proverbs 23:31-32); “The mouth of another man’s wife drips honey, and her speech is softer than oil; but its consequences are as bitter as wormwood... its feet descend to death.” (Proverbs 5:3-5).
In the New Testament, most of the rules for a healthy lifestyle are confirmed both directly and indirectly. The First Apostolic Council recommended “to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and blood, and things strangled, and fornication” (Acts 15:29 and also 15:20). The Apostle Paul in his letters called for abstaining from other questionable foods: “It is better not to eat meat, not to drink wine, and not to [do] anything that causes your brother to stumble, or to be offended, or to faint.” (Romans 14:21; also 1 Corinthians 8:7-13). Paul also stated that “...the Sabbath still remains for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). Numerous healings on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:10-15; Mark 3:2-5; 6:2-6; Luke 4:31-35; 6:7-10; 13:10-13; 14:1-4; John 5:5 -9;9:6-14)- eloquent comments on the words of Paul and the slogan of Jesus "Saturday for man" (Mark 2:27). “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you, which you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God both in your body and in your soul, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).“For it is the will of God... that you should abstain from fornication; so that each of you knows how to keep his vessel in holiness and honor.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4). The contribution of the New Testament to the promotion of a healthy lifestyle cannot be overestimated.
At the same time, the evangelists Matthew and Mark talk about an incident when the apostles did not wash their hands before eating (Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-8). In one of the episodes of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus himself ate food with unwashed hands (Luke 11:38-39). In all cases this was not an error. In response to the reproaches of the Pharisees, Jesus argued that He and the apostles were doing the right thing. What's the matter?
Let's pay attention not to the vocabulary that the evangelists used. I have underlined the words I want to draw attention to and have given their Greek originals.
1 Then the Jerusalem scribes and Pharisees come to Jesus and say:
2 Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? because they don't wash
(3538 -νίπτω) their hands when they eat bread.
3 He answered them:
...
11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles
(2840 - κοινόω) man, but what comes out of the mouth defiles
(2840 - κοινόω) person.
...
17 Do you not yet understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the belly and is thrown out?
18 but what comes from the mouth - comes from the heart - this defiles
(2840 - κοινόω) person,
19 for from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, blasphemy -
20 it defiles
(2840 - κοινόω) person; and eat unwashed
(449 - άνιπτος) hands - does not defile
(2840 - κοινόω) person.
(© Gospel of Matthew, chapter 15)
1 The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered to Him,
2 and when he saw some of his disciples eating unclean bread
(2839 - κοινος), that is, unwashed
(449 - άνιπτος), hands, reproached.
3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews, holding to the tradition of the elders, do not eat without washing
(3538 -νίπτω) carefully hands;
4 and, [coming] from the market, they do not eat without washing
(907 - βαπτίζω). There are many other things that they decided to adhere to: observing the ablution
(908 - βάπτισμα) bowls, mugs, cauldrons and benches.
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him: Why do not Your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but are unwashed?
(449 - άνιπτος) Do you eat bread with your hands?
6 He answered and said to them, “Isaiah prophesied well about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
7 but in vain they worship Me, teaching doctrines the commandments of men.
8 For you, having abandoned the commandment of God, hold to the tradition of men, the washing
(909 - βαπτισμός) - mugs and bowls, and do many other things like that.
(© Gospel of Mark, chapter 7)
38 The Pharisee was surprised to see that He had not washed
(907 - βαπτίζω) [hands] before lunch.
39 But the Lord said to him: “Today you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and the platter.”
(2511 - καθαρίζω), but your inward parts are full of robbery and deceit.
(© Gospel of Luke, chapter 11)
24 Pilate, seeing that nothing was helping, but the confusion was increasing, took water and washed
(0633 - άπονίπτω) hands in front of the people
...
(© Gospel of Matthew 27:24)
10 Jesus says to him: to him who has been washed
(3068 - λούω) you just need to wash your feet
(3538 - νίπτω), because everything is clean; and you are clean, but not all
...
(© Gospel of John 13:10)
0169 - ά καθαρτος
- unclean, unrefined
0449 - ά νιπτος
- unwashed
0595 - άπο θεσις
- abandonment, removal, elimination
0633 - άπο νίπτω
- wash, wash, rinse off
0907 - βαπτίζω
- immerse, baptize, wash (about ceremonial washing), immerse
0908 - βάπτισμα
- immersion, baptism
0909 - βαπτισμός
- washing, immersion, baptism
2511 - καθαρίζω
- cleanse
2839 - κοινος
- general, public; ordinary, ordinary, nasty, unclean
2840 - κοινόω
- to defile, make or consider unclean
3068 - λούω
- bathe, wash, wash
3538 - νίπτω
- wash, wash
4509 - ρύπος
- dirt, impurity
(© Bob Jones University: "Bible Symphony." Ed Nelson Evangelistic Association, USA, 1998)
To denote washing of hands, evangelists use the words “νίπτω”, “βαπτίζω”, “λούω” and derived from them. The concept of “unclean” is conveyed using the negative preposition “ού” or the prefix “ά” before these words, as well as the word “κοινος”.
Perhaps the easiest way to start is with the word “βαπτίζω” (“baptidzo”). This verb means ceremonial washing and is much more often translated as “baptize” in the Synod Bible. The cognate words “βάπτισμα” (“baptisma”) and “βαπτισμός” (“baptismos”) mean “baptism” - a ritual of purification before subsequent service to God. The word "βαπτιστής" ("baptistes") is translated as "Baptist" and is used exclusively as the name of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1; 11:11; Mark 6:24-25; Luke 7:28, etc.). The best thing about what kind of concept the words of this group mean is probably said by the Apostle Peter: "baptism like this image (908 - βάπτισμα) , not carnal impurity (4509 - ρύπος) washing (595 - άποθεσις) but a promise to God of a good conscience" (1 Peter 3:21). The antithesis is noteworthy, the apostle’s opposition of ablution as a hygienic procedure (“ρύπος άποθεσις” is literally translated as “removal of dirt”) and ritual ablution.
The concepts of ritual purity and ritual ablutions have an ancient history in Judaism. Noah took seven pairs of clean animals on board the ark. (Genesis 7:2) unlike everyone else. Jacob called on his people to cleanse themselves. (Genesis 35:2). Moses devoted a significant part of his Pentateuch, especially the book of Leviticus, to purification rites. “Wash me from my iniquity many times over, and cleanse me from my sin.” - Israeli King David prayed to God (Psalm 50:4, also 18:13, 64:4, etc.). “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove your evil deeds from before my eyes; stop doing evil; learn to do good, seek truth, save the oppressed, defend the orphan, stand up for the widow.” - Prophet Isaiah announced the will of God (Isaiah 1:16-17).
Almost all biblical prophets called for washing and cleansing. Moreover, we were not talking about personal hygiene at all, nor about hand disinfection before eating. “Who can say: “I have cleansed my heart, I am clean from my sin?” (Proverbs 20:9); “...I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be cleansed from all your filthiness, and I will cleanse you from all your idols.” (Ezekiel 36:25)- all the above quotes eloquently speak of what the prophets mean: deliverance from sin. Hebrew word " כּפר "("kippur"), used in the book "Leviticus" when describing the rites of purification, means "to atone, make amends, annul guilt." In the Synodal Bible there are several options for translating this verb into Russian: “cleanse”, “propitiate”, “forgive”, “sanctify” and others. The main biblical holiday, the core of worship, is “ יום כּפר "("Yom Kippur"). It is often called "Judgment Day", but literally " יום כּפר " means "day of cleansing (redemption, deliverance) from sin." This is exactly what this holiday is called in the Orthodox tradition.
“I will appease him with gifts”
(Genesis 32:20);
“make a sin offering”
(Exodus 29:36);
"for the ransom of your souls"
(Exodus 30:15);
"for the ransom of your souls"
(Exodus 30:16);
“The priest will make amends for his transgression”
(Leviticus 5:18);
“May the good Lord forgive everyone”
(2 Chronicles 30:19);
This is what the Old Testament idiom “to be cleansed” means. This concept most closely corresponds to the Greek word “ίλάσκομαι”: “He had to become like the brethren in everything, in order to be a merciful and faithful high priest before God, to propitiate (5162 - ίλάσκομαι) for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17).
In the episode we are considering, different vocabulary is used. Over time, the Pharisees and scribes neutralized the meaning of the rite of purification and reduced it to ritual washing. By the time of Christ, many ritual prescriptions that had nothing to do with the provisions of the Tanakh were firmly rooted in the Jewish tradition. In different cases, for different reasons, the person’s face, hands, feet, entire body, as well as various objects, clothes, dishes, etc. were subject to ablution. (Mark 7:4). A ritually unclean person was not allowed into the Temple; You couldn’t sit down at the table without washing your hands.
Evangelists used different terms to refer to washing procedures. The word "νίπτω" ("nipto" may remind readers of the word "Neptune") means washing of hands (Matthew 15:2; Mark 7:3), legs (John 13:10) and other parts of the body. The word "λούω" means washing the whole body (John 13:10). Complete immersion, the immersion of the entire human body or any object, can be denoted by the word “βάπτισμα” that we have already discussed. The washing of inanimate objects is also indicated by the word “πλύνω”.
The Greek language once had many dialects. With the unification of the Greek city-states and subsequent Greek expansion, a single language common to all was formed. On it itself it is called “κοινή” (“koine”), which means “common”. The related word "κοινος", used by the evangelists, means "ordinary, ordinary, ordinary, everyday, for a general occasion, for everyone, that which has not undergone a special rite." This definition can apply to anything: objects, clothing, food, people, nations, rituals, etc. (Mark 7:4). According to the ideas imposed by the Pharisees, a person who uses “common, ordinary” objects himself becomes “common, like everyone else, ritually unclean.” The corresponding verb "κοινόω" means "to make or deem ritually unclean, common, everyday." The authors of the Synodal translation tried to convey the semantics of this idiom using the words “bad” and “to defile.”
“The Pharisee was surprised that Jesus did not wash his hands before eating. This was not done for the sake of cleanliness; Washing hands before eating was of a ritual nature. The law states that a person must wash their hands properly before eating and that they should also be washed between meals. As usual, every detail has been designed. For this purpose there were special stone vessels with water, because ordinary water could be unclean; To wash your hands you had to use as much water as one and a half eggshells could hold. First, water was poured onto the hands, starting from the fingertips and towards the wrist. Then the palms of the hands were washed, and the palm was rubbed with the back of the other hand clenched into a fist. And finally, water was poured onto the hand again, this time starting from the wrist towards the fingertips. Even the slightest violation of this ritual was considered a sin by the Pharisees.”
(© Barclay's New Testament Commentary)
There were special containers for ablutions - “ מִקְוָה "("mikveh"). Mikvehs could be in the form of a bowl (as, for example, in the case of Pontius Pilate washing his hands), a bath, a pool, or even a specially created reservoir. There were mikvahs in private homes and in public places. In order for pilgrims to be able to cleanse themselves before visiting the Temple, several baths were built in Jerusalem, for example Bethesda (John 5:2) and Siloam (John 9:7, 11). In the waters of Bethesda “there lay a great multitude of sick, blind, lame, withered, waiting for the movement of the water, for the Angel of the Lord from time to time went into the pool and disturbed the water, and whoever entered [it] first when the water was disturbed, he recovered, no matter what disease he was possessed by.” (John 5:3-4).
The Israelis are very active in excavating and restoring places of the Holy Scriptures. Archaeologists and philanthropists from all over the world help them in this.
Pool of Siloam. This reservoir was built by King Hezekiah; water flowed into it through the Siloam Tunnel specially cut into the rock from the Gihon River. (2 Kings 20:20, 2 Chronicles 32:30). The purpose of this construction was to supply Jerusalem with drinking water. But by New Testament times, Siloam had become a ritual pond. For those who could not enter the pool on their own, mikvahs in the form of bathtubs and large bowls were placed on the shore.
To perform any rite of ritual ablution, there was a mandatory precondition - to be clean. Not all public mikvahs were running water. And even under this condition, simultaneous hygienic procedures for huge masses of (sick!) people are simply impossible. They are fraught with epidemics, and endangering people by risking their health is contrary to the provisions of the Holy Scriptures.
It is impossible to imagine that the governor of Rome, the representative of the legate of Syria, the procurator of Judea Pontius Pilate walked around with dirty hands. It is obvious that washing their hands is a political show, a ritual, a symbol of disavowal of participation in a dirty business. There is no doubt that Jesus and the apostles observed all the rules of hygiene, as well as all the other instructions of the Tanakh.
When the Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus why He and his disciples did not perform the ritual prescribed by them, Jesus replied that this ritual, like many others, was invented by people, is not God’s commandment and is not obligatory for a devout Jew. Moreover, following any tradition instead of the provisions of the Law, hiding behind good slogans and the holy name of God, is hypocritical. It removes man from God, robs both God and man. That's why Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites (Mark 7:6) full of theft and deceit (Luke 11:39).
Jesus recalled the Old Testament meaning of the concept of “purification”: awareness of sin, its confession and atonement for guilt. It has no sacred meaning, does not carry any mystery. Simply, a person must abstain from lawlessness, love his neighbors, have a good conscience and a pure heart. Everything is very clear, simple and understandable: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; ... stop doing evil; learn to do good" (Isaiah 1:16-17).
Pharisaic ritualism, the division of objects and people into “clean” and “unclean” is meaningless. No rituals over objects, food or body parts can make a person repent and move away from sin. And, conversely, the use of “unconsecrated” objects cannot make the heart of a good person callous, cannot give rise to evil desires in a truly righteous soul.
P.S. When Peter was visiting Simon the tanner in Joppa, he had a vision. A canvas with various unclean animals descended from the sky. “And a voice came to him: Arise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said: No, Lord, I have never eaten anything bad. (2839 - κοινος) or unclean (169 - άκαθαρτος) . Then another time [there was] a voice to him: that God has cleansed (2511 - καθαρίζω) , do not consider him unclean (2840 - κοινόω) » (Acts 10:9-16). The vision was repeated three times.
Some Christians believe that by doing this God abolished the Old Testament law on clean and unclean food and allowed the consumption of any obscenity. But this is also a primitive, superficial interpretation.
This is the conclusion that Peter himself came to after much thought. (Acts 10:17, 19) over vision: “God has revealed to me that I should not consider any person filthy
(2839 - κοινος) or unclean
(169 - άκαθαρτος) »
(Acts 10:28).
Just like the stories of the evangelists about the unwashed hands of the apostles, this fragment of Scripture has nothing to do with the question of healthy way life. This is a “procedural” question, it talks about the inability of any rites and rituals to purify or defile a person, about the incompetence of dividing people into “pure” and “impure”. “And those who believed from the circumcision, who came with Peter, were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out also on the Gentiles.” (Acts 10:44-47).
In 1896, Oxford scientists Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt began excavations in the area of the ancient Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus (Greek Οξυρρυνχος - “city of the sharp-nosed fish”, in Coptic the city is called Pemje). Over time, a huge number of papyri were found there, including those containing early Christian texts (“Oxyrhynchus Gospels”). These papyri date back to the period from the 1st century. BC. until the 7th century AD
I think it would be helpful to understand the words and actions of Jesus to know how His contemporaries understood them. After all, they belonged to the same cultural layer as Him, knew all the customs of that time, spoke the same language, used the same idioms and phraseological units, and used a single categorical apparatus. Thanks to an archaeological discovery from a century ago, we have the fortunate opportunity to learn how the early Christians perceived the topic of unwashed hands.
3 And he took them (the disciples) with him to the place reserved for the pure, and entered the courtyard of the Temple.
4 And the chief priest of the Pharisees, named Levi, met them and said to the Savior: Who allowed you to enter this pure place and look at these holy things without washing, and even your disciples did not wash their feet?
5 Unclean you entered the courtyard of the Temple, a clean place, although no one who has not first washed himself and changed his clothes dares to enter and contemplate these holy things.
6 And the Savior stopped with his disciples and asked him: What about you, who are here in the courtyard of the Temple, are you clean?
7 And he said to Him: I am clean, for I have washed in the fountain of David, and have gone down one ladder and up another, and have put on clean white garments.
8 And only then did I enter and contemplate these shrines.
9 Then the Savior said to him: You washed yourself in stagnant water, in which dogs and pigs lie day and night, and you washed yourself and rubbed the outside of your skin, as harlots and flute players perfume, wash, rub (incense) and paint to arouse desire, but inside they are full of scorpions and vices.
10 But I and My disciples, of whom you said that they were unclean, We washed ourselves in the living water that comes down (from heaven).
© Papyrus from Oxyrhynchus, author and exact time of writing unknown
In this episode, no one eats food, but the Pharisee’s complaint is the same: failure to perform the prescribed ritual of ablution. The Savior’s answer is the same: in the understanding of the author of the text, the established rituals of ablution are useless. Hygiene procedures are compared to the make-up of prostitutes. The Oxyrhynchus papyrus, in my opinion, is a convincing confirmation of the conclusions of my work. The Gospel episodes in question have nothing to do with food or hygiene, but rather show Jesus' attitude toward ritual (as does Matthew 23:25-28).
Thank you!
© Igor Shipovsky, July-October 2008
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