Analysis of information sources in references of the Wikipedia article "Cleanliness" in English language version.
Water plays a role in other Christian rituals as well.... In the early days of Christianity, two to three centuries after Christ, the lavabo (Latin for "I wash myself"), a ritual handwashing vessel and bowl, was introduced as part of Church service.
From Fleming's perspective, the transition to Christianity required a good dose of personal and public hygiene...
...Thus bathing also was considered a part of good health practice. For example, Tertullian attended the baths and believed them hygienic. Clement of Alexandria, while condemning excesses, had given guidelines for Christian] who wished to attend the baths...
...but baths were normally considered therapeutic until the days of Gregory the Great, who understood virtuous bathing to be bathing "on account of the needs of body"...
Public baths were common in the larger towns and cities of Europe by the twelfth century.
