What are the features of the baptistery?

The Dome: On ascending from the baptismal font, the baptized person sees the dome to remind him of heaven. It expresses the Church’s belief that baptism is the beginning of a heavenly life, whereby the newly-baptized partakes of the Kingdom of God.

The Stairs: In most of our ancient churches, there are two sets of stairs, one at the east and the other at the west. They form part of the font structure, which demonstrates some aspects of the baptismal rite. By one of the stairs, the candidate descends and goes into the water, while the celebrant of the mystery (the priest) stands on the other side of stairs, placing his hand on the candidate’s head and immersing him thrice in the water. St. Cyril of Jerusalem explains this rite, saying, “You descend three times into the water, and ascend again, here also is a hidden glance at the three day burial of Christ and his resurrection, since the redeeming water offers you death and life simultaneously.” And St. John Chrysostom gives a great analysis of this rite, saying, “The immersion of the head in the water resembles the burial of our old man, so that the new man may emerge. As it is feasible for us to dip then float, it is equally feasible for God to bury the old man and put on us the new man.”

The Baptistery Icon: In the majority of Coptic churches, a baptistery icon is fitted on the dome of the baptistery. It is usually the icon of Christ’s baptism in the Jordan by St. John the Baptist, which signifies an essential theological fact that was declared by the School of Alexandria. It assures us that our baptism is derived from and is an extension of Christ’s baptism; the former derives its effectiveness from the latter. As St. Clement of Alexandria says, the believer unites with Christ during His baptism in a unity that can never be dissolved.¹²⁷⁶

1275 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans 10 (NPNF I/11:405) amended.

1276 See St. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies 7.3 (ANF 2:526).