PROSELYTE (Greek, an arrival or new comer), he who leaves one religion for another. In New Testament times there were proselytes of two degrees, the proselytes of the gate who renounced idolatry and worshipped the only true God according to the (so-called) seven laws of the children of Noah, without subject ing themselves to circumcision and the other commands of the Mosaic law, and were only admitted to the court of the temple, and stood at the door of the inner temple, whence their name; having the right of dwelling in the land of Israel, but only in suburbs and villages; and the proselytes of righteousness who had been fully converted from paganism to Judaism, had been circumcised, and bound themselves to observe the Mosaic law. Before their circum cision they were examined respecting the grounds of their conversion ; after their circumcision they received baptism, being immersed with their whole body in a cistern full of water, on a festival, in the presence of three judges. This
baptism, known under the name of proselyte baptism, was repeated in the case of those chil dren of a proselyte who had a heathen mother. Boys under 12 and girls under 13 could not become proselytes without the consent of their parents, or, in case of their refusal, the aid of the magistrates. By the baptism every one was considered as born anew, so that his parents were no longer regarded as such, and slaves thus baptized were set free. Consult Bertholet, A., 'Die Stelluing der Israeliten and der Juden zu den Fremden) (Freiburg 1896) ; Brandt, W., 'Die Jiidischen Baptismen' (Giessen 1910) ; Graetz, H. H., 'History of the Jews' (6 vols., Philadelphia 1891-98) ; Schiirer, E., 'Geschichte des Judischen Volkes' (4 vols., Leipzig 1901 11).