I think you know that it was total immersion till many centuries later when the corruption came into the church in the
"Great Apostasy" from Rome as Paul laid out in 2 Thessalonians 2
The Great Apostasy
1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of [
a]Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for
that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of [
b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits [
c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the [
d]mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only [
e]He who now restrains
will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the
lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Its well documented in history and
even they admit it, as to the baptistries in the churches and you find them even today as we see..
"Among the ruins of early Christian structures, and also in ancient churches still in use, the history of Christian baptism can be traced. Paintings in catacombs and churches, mosaics on floors, walls, and ceilings, sculptured reliefs, and drawings in ancient New Testament manuscripts add details to this history, as well as raising interesting questions that need further investigation.
The record left by these various witnesses overwhelmingly testifies to immersion as the normal mode of baptism in the Christian church during the first ten to fourteen centuries. 1 This is in addition to the evidence found throughout the writings of the church fathers that immersion was the early church's common mode of baptism.
Most students of church history are acquainted with the early written record about baptism, but what do the mosaics, the mortar, the brick, and the paint say?
For some time scholarly circles have been discussing the origin of Christian baptism. Some see its origins in the mystery cults that flourished during the first century A.D. Actually, it is not necessary to go beyond the religious heritage in which Christianity has its roots—the religion of Israel.
Here we find baptism by immersion already in existence. Gentiles who espoused Judaism were required to enter its fold by circumcision, baptism, and the offering of a sacrifice. This article cannot discuss the beginnings of proselyte baptism in Judaism, but the fact that the apostle Paul reflects rabbinic argumentation for proselyte baptism in one of his early epistles (
1 Cor. 10:2: "And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea") would seem to indicate that this practice was in existence at the time of the birth of the Christian church. A Gentile convert to Judaism was required to undergo immersion. While he stood in the water, two scholars nearby read some of the lighter and some of the heavier requirements of the Law. Then at the proper time he immersed him self.
2
It is generally agreed that immersion was practiced at Qumran. Matthew Black envisions a candidate for acceptance into the community being baptized in full view of the assembled members in an area that forms a natural amphitheater. Not only were the baptistries at Qumran used for ritual purifications throughout the year, but the entire community renewed its covenant by entering the baptismal waters in the order of their rank and status at the time of a ' 'general convention" of the sect, at which time the neophytes were also baptized. 3
Because fresh water was scarce at Qumran, a number of large cisterns were built to collect and store water during the rainy season. A few of these cisterns are small and shallow, serving better as baths and baptistries than as storage tanks. One such cistern, located by the northwest entrance to the monastery, lies beside an aqueduct that leads to a large settling tank. The cistern has a series of steps leading down into it, serving the purpose of baptism by immersion very nicely.
4
It would seem, therefore, that John the Baptist, and later the disciples of Jesus, simply followed the mode of baptism that was familiar to the people of that day immersion. Indeed, Black says that most Jewish sects in the New Testament period practiced baptismal rites.
5
During the active ministry of the apostles, baptisms were performed wherever adequate water could be found in lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, the sea, et cetera. When imperial persecution drove the Christians underground, baptistries were constructed in the catacombs at Rome. The remains of these baptistries stand as the oldest archeological witness to the rite of Christian baptism."
https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1981/03/baptism-in-the-early-church
And if you look closely at the verse in Acts 8, you see it clearly..
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39
And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
Its all there, but as they say, 'a man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still', so one must ask for the Holy Spirits guidance for understanding..
