Miqveh
/ˈmɪk.və/noun
A Jewish ritual bath used for immersion in water for purposes of ritual purification.
Did you know?A miqveh is not simply a bath: Jewish law traditionally requires naturally gathered water, linking ritual purification to rain, springs, or other living water sources.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
קוה (q-w-h)
“To collect, gather, or accumulate; a related Hebrew noun referred to gathered water.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
מִקְוֶה (miqweh)
“A collection or gathering, especially a body of water; the term appears in the Hebrew Bible.”
Second Temple Period
Hebrew
miqweh
“A ritual pool or gathered water used for purification by immersion.”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
miqveh
“A ritual bath whose water and construction were governed by Jewish legal tradition.”
Modern English
English
miqveh
“An English transliteration for a Jewish ritual bath; mikveh and mikvah are more common variants.”