Water, in its cleansing properties, holds profound symbolic meaning in the context of baptism. The Old Testament provides examples that prefigure this act, such as Noah and the flood, where eight souls were saved through water, illustrating a type of baptism. Similarly, the Israelites' crossing of the Red Sea represents a form of immersion, as they were baptized into Moses in the cloud and the sea, leaving behind their old lives in Egypt through what would have been a watery grave for others. This event pictures the death of a former way of life and the emergence into a new one by God's grace. In the New Testament, baptism by water continues this symbolism of purification and transformation. It is an ordinance that expresses faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ Jesus. When a person is immersed in water, it represents a burial into a watery grave, symbolizing the crucifixion of the old self and the burial of a sinning life. Rising from the water mirrors Christ's resurrection, signifying a new, righteous, spiritual life. This act of immersion, requiring much water as seen in John's baptizing at Aenon near Salim, is distinct from sprinkling or pouring, which do not convey the same symbolic burial and rising. Baptism also symbolizes purification, preparing a person for the receipt of the Holy Spirit. It pictures being baptized into Christ Jesus' death, being buried with Him, and being raised to walk in newness of life. Through this ordinance, the old man is crucified, and the body of sin is done away with, freeing one from the slavery of sin. Thus, water in baptism serves as a powerful emblem of cleansing, renewal, and the beginning of a transformed existence in alignment with God's will.