Question: when was the word baptism used in relation to the old testament

title: Baptism
text: The usual form of baptism among the earliest Christians was for the candidate to be immersed , either totally ( submerged completely under the water ) or partially ( standing or kneeling in water while water was poured on him or her ) . While John the Baptist 's use of a deep river for his baptism suggests immersion , `` The fact that he chose a permanent and deep river suggests that more than a token quantity of water was needed , and both the preposition ' in ' ( the Jordan ) and the basic meaning of the verb ' baptize ' probably indicate immersion . In v. 16 , Matthew will speak of Jesus ' coming up out of the water ' . The traditional depiction in Christian art of John the Baptist pouring water over Jesus ' head may therefore be based on later Christian practice . '' Pictorial and archaeological evidence of Christian baptism from the 3rd century onward indicates that a normal form was to have the candidate stand in water while water was poured over the upper body . Other common forms of baptism now in use include pouring water three times on the forehead , a method called affusion .