Scriptural basis for Tonsuring?

Here's another message I put up on an E-Group a couple of years ago. I found that the question has come up again recently, so it seems relevant. Also, a Deacon did kindly confirm for me that ordinands take a forty day fast (vow) before ordination.
I was a lil mean to the guy i was responding to with this post, but he had it coming ;-P

Dear Mr.---,
Please do some research before you jump to conclusions. You wrote:

>>"...recently I attended a Decon ordination service.SOC Bava
thirumeni cut the decon's hair in Madhaba. I asked many people why
does Bava thirumeni cut hair in Madhbaha. Did Jesus cut Peter's
hair.Did Apostles cut 7 decons in Jerusalem in the 1st century.
NO.Later I found that Malankara Orthodox faith is 70 % Babylonian
tradition imported from Syria..."<<

Since you have probably read the bible from "Gen 1 to Rev 22" many
times, I wonder how you have neglected the following verses:


"Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers
and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he
sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had
taken."
Acts 18:18

"There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join
in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can
have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth
in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in
obedience to the law...The next day Paul took the men and purified
himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of
the date when the days of purification would end and the offering
would be made for each of them."
Acts 21:23-24,26

These verses make it clear that the Early church had the practice of
cutting off one's hair when making a vow to God, hence the Bishop
cutting off a lock of the deacon candidate's hair.

>>"...Later I found that Malankara Orthodox faith is 70 % Babylonian
tradition imported from Syria..."<<

Really? Quite an interesting "find." Is there any kind of historical
or factual basis for this? By the way, ALL Orthodox churches, not
just the Malankara Church, have the practice of cutting a clerical
candidate's hair before ordination. I suppose all these churches in
various parts of the world have also been influenced by "babylonian
tradition imported from Syria?" Also, the Malankara Faith is the
Orthodox faith, shared not only with Syriac Christians, but with 200
million people worldwide. It'd be interesting to hear what they have
to say about their faith being "imported from Babylonia." If Orthodox
worship is "Babylonian" in nature, then Jewish worship must be the
same, since 70% of Orthodox Liturgical worship comes from Jewish
worship.
I recommend that you conduct some serious research.