In Jesus and the Forces of Death by Matthew Thiessen, in chapter 2 Thiessen basically explains that in the Qumran Community of the first century, the sinner ("ritually unclean") would not become pure by the deeds of atonement nor by purifying waters, or made holy by the seas or rivers, nor would he be purified by all the waters of washing; but would be impure all the days he rejected the decrees of God (according to Scroll 3: 4-6).
Thiessen points out that John the Baptist used living water as the best "detergent" (i.e. purifier). Thiessen does not mention this but this reminded me of how Jesus is described as living water in the Gospel of John, which in two YouTube videos I watched by Jay McCarl and the BibleProject, I learned this meant that it was a source moving water that is constantly purified through new rain or constant flow to avoid becoming stagnant and becoming polluted; and thus a water source of constantly refilled fresh pure water, and thus not dead water but living water.
Thiessen explains that John the Baptist was trying to make the holy (sacred) realm distinct from the profane (common) realm in his preaching. John the Baptist makes it clear that while he uses water to purify it is the coming Messiah who will immerse people in the detergent of immeasurable power (the sacred nooma), and in Matthew and Luke the nooma of fire (see Mark 1:8, Matthew 3: 11 and Luke 3.16, as best understood through the Voice translation). Thiessen explains that what John the Baptist is saying is that his water purification ritual is only temporary and soon one will come with a noomatic detergent to provide a full and permanent purification via the liquid nooma.
Thiessen goes on to summarize his thesis of the Gospels are portraying Jesus as being a devout Jew and fulfilling the Jewish purity code and moral code of the Torah; that is until Jesus resurrects and becomes a eternal Life giving spirit (nooma) for the Gentiles; so that they as Gentiles do not need to perform the purity rituals of first century Judaism but can be made permanently ritually pure and holy apart from the cultic purity rites through the indwelling fiery power of the sacred nooma.
