ABSTRACT
In the Hellenistic (Greek) and Roman periods, there existed a variety of boundary-crossing rituals that involved various tasks and stages. Some of these rituals marked the passage from one life stage into the next, while others marked the entry into a particular group. Christian baptism will be considered in its Greco–Roman context, as well as in relation to Second Temple Judaism. The ritual of baptism was one means by which the early Christians established boundaries for their community. The ritual use of water that characterized Hellenistic Corinth came to an abrupt end in 146 BCE when the Romans destroyed Corinth. In short, by carefully considering Roman, Jewish, and Christian use of water, one sees more clearly the boundaries separating these groups. The unity signified in baptism was expressed in the early Christian community using the language and concepts of the Greco–Roman kinship system.
