to sacred use (Lev. 27:21, 28), or to an entire city and all things therein.—Deut. 13:15-17; Josh. 6:17.

Sacred bans figured in certain prophecies. (Mic. 4:13; Zech. 14:11) For a complete discussion of the subject, see DEVOTE.

BANGLE

See ANKLET.

BANI

(Baʹni) [build].

1. A Levite in the line of Merari, and ancestor of the Ethan whom David appointed to temple service.—1 Chron. 6:46.

2. One of David’s mighty men, a Gadite.—2 Sam. 23:36.

3. A descendant of Judah through Perez whose descendants lived in Jerusalem after the captivity. (1 Chron. 9:3, 4) It is possible that this family head was the same as Nos. 4 and 5 or as 4 and 6 below.

4. A family head whose descendants, over six hundred in number, returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:1, 10) He is called Binnui at Nehemiah 7:15.—See No. 3 above.

5. A family head six of whose descendants dismissed their foreign wives and sons in Ezra’s time. Not the same as No. 6 below.—Ezra 10:29, 44; see No. 3 above.

6. A family head in Israel who apparently had twelve descendants who dismissed their foreign wives and sons in Ezra’s day. Not the same as No. 5 above.—Ezra 10:34, 44; see No. 3 above.

7. A Levite whose son Rehum helped repair Jerusalem’s wall in 455 B.C.E. Compare Nos. 8-10, 12 below.—Neh.3:17.

8. A Levite who assisted Ezra with reading and explaining the Law to the people.—Neh. 8:7; 9:4, 5; see No. 7 above.

9. The second-listed of two Levites named Bani who were on the platform when public confession of Israel’s sins was made in 455 B.C.E.—Neh. 9:4.

10. A Levite whose descendant, if not himself, attested by seal to Nehemiah’s “trustworthy arrangement.”—Neh. 9:38; 10:13.

11. One of the “heads of the people” whose descendant, if not himself, also attested to the “trustworthy arrangement.”—Neh. 9:38; 10:14.

12. A Levite descendant of Asaph whose son Uzzi was overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem in the days of Nehemiah.—Neh. 11:22; see No. 7 above.

BANK, BANKER

In Jesus’ parables of the talents and the mines he referred to bankers and to a bank as giving interest on money deposited with them. (Matt. 25:27; Luke 19:23) Much like the English word “bank” (which derives from the Italian word [banca] for bench or counter), the Greek word translated bank (traʹpe·za) literally meant a table (Matt. 15:27), or, when associated with financial operations, as with the money changers, it referred to a counter for money.—Matt. 21:12; Mark 11:15; John 2:15.

Jesus’ reference to “bankers” (Gr., tra·pe·ziʹtes [singular]) as accepting deposits and paying interest indicates a larger operation than that generally performed by the money brokers (Gr., ker·ma·ti·stesʹ [singular] from ker·ma·tiʹzo, to make small change) or money changers (kol·ly·bi·stesʹ [singular] from kolʹly·bos, a small coin or rate of exchange) whose main operations were to exchange local money for foreign money and provide coins of lesser value in exchange for ones of greater value, receiving a certain fee for each such service. (See MONEY CHANGER.) Some of these men may also have done banking, accepting deposits and making loans, while in other cases these financial transactions were handled by men of wealth, such as merchants and owners of large estates.

Evidence of such banking activity goes back apparently to the time of Abraham, for the ancient Sumerians of the Plains of Shinar are said to have carried on “a surprisingly complex system of lending, borrowing, holding money on deposit, and providing letters of credit . . . ” (The Encyclopedia Americana 1956 ed., Vol. 3, p. 152) In Babylon, as later in Greece, the banking activities centered around the religious temples whose sacrosanct position in the minds of the people provided security against assault by thieves. The temple of Shamash, the sun-god, at Sippar has been called “the oldest financial establishment in the world.” (Nebuchadnezzar, G. R. Tabouis, p. 317) Funds were loaned for commercial enterprises, mortgages on property, or in cases of financial emergency. Transactions were put in written form on clay tablets in the presence of witnesses, acknowledged as valid by the mark or seal of the parties, and protected against falsification by the placing of a duplicate text within a clay envelope, which was not to be broken unless some dispute required it. Private groups also acted as bankers, and the Egibi family of Babylon was very prominent in the banking business during King Nebuchadnezzar’s time (in the latter half of the seventh and the early part of the sixth century B.C.E.), hundreds of commercial documents bearing their name being issued in the form of clay tablets, unearthed in recent times by archaeologists. The bankers of Babylon received interest ranging from 12 to 20 percent on loans. Houses, lands, furniture, even wives and children were pledged as security.

In Greece, by the fourth century B.C.E., the temples, private groups and firms were engaged in financial activities similar to those of banks of modern times, including the arrangement of credit transactions between cities, investment of funds and exchange of foreign currency. In ancient Troy depositors of money for the public service of the State evidently received as much as 10 percent interest on their deposits. Similar banking activity was carried on throughout the Roman Empire.

Inasmuch as the economy of the nation of Israel was fundamentally agricultural, the need for such financial enterprises was considerably less than in such commercial centers as Babylon, Tyre and Sidon. While the taking of interest on loans made to their fellow Israelites is condemned at Deuteronomy 23:19, this appears to have been primarily in cases of borrowing done by needy and impoverished persons. (Compare Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:35-37; 2 Kings 4:1-7.) Interest was specifically allowable on loans to non-Israelites. (Deut. 23:20) Valuables were often left in the care of some trusted persons for safekeeping (Ex. 22:7), while others resorted to burying them in the ground, as did the sluggish slave of Jesus’ parable. (Matt. 25:25; compare Matthew 13:44.) Evidence of this practice is seen in the large quantities of valuables and coins unearthed by both archaeologists and farmers in Bible lands.

Following the exile in Babylon (607-537 B.C.E.) there is some evidence in the form of papyrus documents that Jewish bankers and brokers were active in Egypt. Certain ones of the Israelites who returned from Babylon to the land of Judah were condemned for applying harsh banking practices toward their needy brothers, exacting security in the form of their homes, lands and vineyards, and even their children, and charging an interest rate of 12 percent annually (one hundredth part per month). Those debtors who defaulted due to insolvency thus suffered the loss of their properties. (Neh. 5:1-11) Such improper action, however, did not place a blanket condemnation on the receiving of interest, as evidenced by Jesus’ later expression of implied approval of the use of capital to obtain increased funds.—See INTEREST.

BAPTISM

[Gr., baʹpti·sma, the process of immersion, including submersion and emergence; from baʹpto, to dip].

In the Bible, “to immerse” is the same as “to baptize.” In illustration of this, The Holy Bible, An Improved Edition, published in 1913, renders Romans 6:3, 4 as follows: “Or, are you ignorant, that all we who were baptized (immersed) into Christ Jesus were baptized (immersed) into his death? We were buried therefore with him through our baptism (immersion) into his death.” (See also Ro; ED.) This is perfectly proper, for the word “baptize” is taken from the Greek word ba·ptiʹzein, meaning “to dip, to plunge.” (A Greek-English Lexicon, by Liddell and Scott, Vol. I, reprinted in 1948) The Greek Septuagint Version uses a form of the same word for “dip” at Leviticus 14:16. When one is immersed in water, one is temporarily “buried” out of sight and then lifted out.

We shall consider four different aspects of baptism, together with related questions: (1) John’s baptism, (2) water baptism of Jesus and his followers, (3) baptism into Christ Jesus and into his death, (4) baptism with fire.

JOHN’S BAPTISM

The first human authorized by God to perform water baptism was John the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. (Luke 1:5-7, 57) The very fact that he was known as “John the Baptist” or “the baptizer” (Matt. 3:1; Mark 1:4) implies that baptism or water immersion came to the attention of the people especially through John, and the Scriptures prove that his ministry and baptism came from God; they were not of John’s origin. His works were foretold by the angel Gabriel as from God (Luke 1:13-17), and Zechariah prophesied by holy spirit that John would be a prophet of the Most High to make Jehovah’s ways ready. (Luke 1:68-79) Jesus confirmed that John’s ministry and baptism were from God. (Luke 7:26-28) The disciple Luke records that “God’s declaration came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. So he came . . . preaching baptism.” (Luke 3:2, 3) The apostle John states of him: “There arose a man that was sent forth as a representative of God: his name was John.”—John 1:6.

Further understanding of the meaning of John’s baptism is gained by comparing various translations of Luke 3:3. John came “preaching baptism in symbol of repentance for forgiveness of sins” (NW); “baptism conditioned on repentance” (CBW); “baptism whereby men repented, to have their sins forgiven” (Kx); “baptism in token of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (NEB); “‘Change your ways and be baptized,’ he preached, ‘and God will forgive your sins.’” (TEV, 1966 ed.) These renderings make plain that the baptism did not wash away their sins, but the repentance and changing of their ways did, and of this, baptism was a symbol.

The baptism performed by John was therefore not a special cleansing from God through his servant John, but a public demonstration and symbol of the individual’s repentance over his sins against the Law, which was to lead them to Christ. (Gal. 3:24) John thereby prepared a people to “see the saving means of God.” (Luke 3:6) His work served to “get ready for Jehovah a prepared people.” (Luke 1:16, 17) Such a work had been prophesied by Isaiah and Malachi.—Isa. 40:3-5; Mal. 4:5, 6.

Some scholars try to read anticipation of John’s baptism and the Christian baptism in ancient purification ceremonies under the Law (Ex. 29:4; Lev. 8:6; 14:8, 31, 32) or in individual acts. (Gen. 35:2; Ex. 19:10) But these instances bear no analogy to the real meaning of baptism. They were washings for ceremonial cleanness. In only one instance is there anything approaching a dipping of the body completely under water. This is in the case of Naaman the leper, and the plunging into water was done seven times. (2 Ki. 5:14) It did not bring him into any special relationship to God, but merely cured him of leprosy. Besides, Scripturally, proselytes were circumcised, not baptized. To partake of the passover or engage in worship at the sanctuary one had to be circumcised.—Ex. 12:43-49.

Neither are there any grounds for the assertion made by some that John’s baptism was probably borrowed from the Jewish sect the Essenes or from the Pharisees. Both of these sects had many requirements for ablutions to be performed often. But they were washings of hands and of vessels, not baptism of people. Jesus showed such to be mere commandments of men who overstepped the commandments of God by their tradition. (Mark 7:1-9; Luke 11:38-42) John baptized in water because, as he said, he was sent by God to baptize in water. (John 1:33) He was not sent by the Essenes or the Pharisees. His baptism was of those who were already members of the Jewish congregation, not to make Jewish proselytes.—Luke 1:16.

John knew that his works were merely a preparing of the way before God’s Son and Messiah and would give way to the greater ministry of that One. The reason for John’s baptizing was that the Messiah might be made manifest to Israel. (John 1:31) According to John 3:26-30, the Messiah’s ministry would increase, but John’s ministry was to decrease. Those who were baptized by Jesus’ disciples during Jesus’ earthly ministry and who therefore also became Jesus’ disciples were baptized in symbol of repentance in the manner of John’s baptism.—John 3:25, 26; 4:1, 2.

JESUS’ BAPTISM IN WATER

The baptism of Jesus himself as performed by John must of necessity have had a meaning and purpose quite different from “John’s baptism,” as Jesus “committed no sin, nor was deception found in his mouth.” (1 Pet. 2:22) So he could not submit to an act symbolizing repentance. Undoubtedly it was for this reason that John objected to baptizing Jesus. But Jesus said: “Let it be, this time, for in that way it is suitable for us to carry out all that is righteous.”—Matt. 3:13-15.

Luke states that Jesus was praying at the time of his baptism. (Luke 3:21) Further, the writer of the letter to the Hebrews says that when Jesus Christ came “into the world” (that is, not when he was born and could not read and say these words, but when he presented himself for baptism and began his ministry) he was saying, in accord with Psalm 40:6-8 (LXX): “Sacrifice and offering you did not want, but you prepared a body for me. . . . Look! I am come (in the roll of the book it is written about me) to do your will, O God.” (Heb. 10:5-9) Jesus was by birth a member of the Jewish nation, which nation was in a national covenant with God, namely, the Law covenant. (Ex. 19:5-8; Gal. 4:4) Jesus, by reason of this fact, was therefore already in a covenant relationship with Jehovah God when he thus presented himself to John for baptism. Jesus was there doing something more than was required of him under the Law. He was presenting himself to his Father Jehovah to do his Father’s “will” with reference to the offering of his own “prepared” body and with regard to doing away with animal sacrifices that were offered according to the Law. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews comments: “By the said ‘will’ we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.” (Heb. 10:10) Jehovah accepted and acknowledged this presentation of his Son, anointing him with holy spirit and saying: “You are my Son, the beloved; I have approved you.”—Mark 1:9-l1; Luke 3:21-23; Matt. 3:13-17.

WATER BAPTISM OF JESUS’ FOLLOWERS

John’s baptism was due to be replaced by the baptism commanded by Jesus: “Make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit.” (Matt. 28:19) This was the only water baptism having God’s approval from Pentecost, 33 C.E., forward. Some years after 33 C.E., Apollos, a zealous man, was teaching correctly about Jesus, but had an understanding of only John’s baptism. On this matter he had to be corrected, as did the disciples whom