1.1. WATER IN RELIGION Vital factor for human life, but also for animal and vegetal life, water represents one of the most important element that exists, and, at the same time, the symbol of soul cleansing and holy life. Also, water has an important role in many religions and that results from the quality of being a cleaner and, at the same time, the one that purifies the body and soul. Likewise, the water is vivifying, the one which receives and offers the living possibility, the one which can provide life.The well known historian of the religions, Mircea Eliade, said that water symbolizes the totality of the virtualities, being the matrix of all the living possibilities. Waters implies regeneration, and that’s how it becomes the symbol of life Water is the one which creates, yet the one that can destroy life and that’s why it is seen from many points of view by the believers of different 1 religions. That’s why the meaning of it in different religions cause not only curiosity but also interest and diversity. In Buddhism, water is associated with the life beyond, for that reason water is poured in a bowl placed in front of the dead and the Buddhist monk (who recites the prayer). As rain fills the rivers that pours into ocean, just like how the soul will reach from where he left. In hinduism water has cleaning powers, that’s why it has such a special role that can be seen especially in the 7 sacred rivers: Ganges, Yamuna, Godavari, Sarasvati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri. In Islam, water is the one that cleans and purifies; without water a moslem is not clean and he can’t approach the prayer to Allah, that’s why in the mosques it will always be a place for the purifying water. In Judaism, Torah is the one which commands the jews to clean their hands and feet before taking part at temple rituals.In Hebrew, the rain water is a purifying element; in every synagogue there is a sewerage that collects the water in a tank which is later use for different purification rituals. 2 In Christianity, water represents a complex symbol, for a complex religion, and, at the same time, a vital element for life. Water appears in the second verse of Holy Scripture which says that after being created, the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. The real presence of the Holy Spirit over waters shows that He was the one to take care of the aquatic animals. Water is the one to receive the divine creatures at the divine order and the one which always withdraws to defend the land. Therefore, everything was brought to life by Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament we meet countless testimonials about water and about its role in the human history. God sends the punishment to unbelievers by water that covers the whole Earth, unfaithfuls meeting their death by water. Also, it is quite intresting that God had promised not to lose anymore ground with water, as he did in the flood. Water’s cleansing role is, thus, underlined by this event, but it is also noticed water’s withdrawn after the Great Flood and the rebirth of the whole nature. And this means a rebirth from the dead, a reshape of the world, of nature, of life. It is to be taken into consideration that God promised that He 3 would never perish the earth through water, the way he did during the Great Flood. The greatest Prophet of the Jews, Moses, whose life history begins on the water, is the one who will lead the Jewish people towards liberation from Egyptian bondage. His mother, in order to prevent him from the Egyptians who killed by order of the Pharaoh all those born of male, put him in a basket on the Nile waters. His way was guided towards the Pharaon's House, where he would be found by his daughter. He will be named by her according to the situation he was found, with the name of Moses, which means from water I have himremoved. (Exit, chapter 2). Moses is the one who will save his people from the Egyptian bondage, passing it through the Red Sea. Water is the miracle of salvation of the Jewish people. Passing through the water to the people is, in the metaphorical sense, the cleansing of sins, and shifting to another world, a world of beauty, of right, of freedom. Also, for the Egyptian people, water becomes, this time a disaster, which is a known truth: water can kill, but water gives life, too. Moses is the one who will give water to his people while being thirsty in desert. The need for water offers Moses the opportunity to complete a new miracle: to make water come out from rock for his people, by hitting it with his scepter. The miracle is thus produced, water coming out from a rock, water which enables his people to temper their thirst. 4 Water has also an eschatological sense in the Old Testament , the anticipation of the end of this life and the acquisition of Heaven: The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord,the splendor of our God.. (Is.35: 1-2). This exclamation of joy is actually a rich description of Heaven at the end of time, and the joy of those who will taste it. In the New Testament, perhaps the most important presentation about water is baptism of Jesus Christ, where it enters the Jordan and is baptized by John the Baptist, who sees the miracle of theophany, that revelation of the whole Trinity at the time of Baptism: Father the one who confesses the Son orally, This is baptized, and the Holy Spirit descends like a dove upon the Son of God. The miracle takes place there in Jordan, Jordan turns water magic in demonstration of holiness. Therefore, the combination of the Messiah with water, is not accidental, because He is the first revelation of the Jordan, where he was baptized with water. Like water that comes down from heaven, the Son of God comes down from heaven to water the world with His teachings. Through baptism, Christ sanctifies water and turns it in cleansing water, and therefore in Romania, people who believe in God do not wash their clothes that day and as a sign of sanctity and respect to the water and its nature. Therefore, the combination of the Messiah with water is one telling in light of the Epiphany or Baptism, the first image of which is associated with the River Jordan, where he was seen for the first time the world. About water and its magic that has witnessed the Savior, who, in a discussion with a poor woman (John Chapter 4) talks about water that can 5 give her to drink, and if he drinks from it , she will never be thirsty . It is the water of life, the word of God and His teachings. Water is the symbol of birth in Christianity, in this sense, the Savior saying to Nicodemus: Unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he will enter the kingdom of heaven. (In.3,5). The birth of water and the Spirit is the transformation of the old man, that man of sin in a new man, pure, new life ,sinless and united with God, this being done by water power The miracle and the transforming by water continues even today on every new Christian, through baptism made with holy water, for whom the priest prays saying: “You, Master of all, show this water, water of redemption, water of holiness, body cleaning and soul absolution, forgiveness of sins, soul lighten, the second birth bath, spirit renewal, spirit adopt, garment of incorruption, source of life.” The cleansing role of water is shown in the conversation that Jesus Christ has with His Apostles, when He is washing their feet, telling them: “The one who has bathed does not need to have his feet washed, because all is clean. And you are clean…” (In. 13,10). Also in the New Testament it’s said about the alive water, or the water who rebirths, saying: “The one who believes in Me, like 6 the Holy Scripture said: rivers of alive water will flow from his belly. And this was said about the Spirit they have to receive, the one who believes in Him.” (In. 7,39-39) The first miracle that Jesus Christ made was through water. He transformed the water into wine at the weeding from Cana Galileii. It’s the symbol of water through which the miracle was produced and of the wine as the embodiment of the Jesus Christ’s blood. Another miracle that was done in the time of The Saviour by water, a miracle which would seem hard to believe for many, is the one from Vitezda Bathing Place, which is presented in Saint John’s Evangelica, chapter 5, where it is said that the miracle of healing came from the sky; an angel of God fell from the sky and troubled the water, from time to time, and the one who entered the water was cured, no matter of the sickness that he had.