Discovery :: Thousands of Years of Jewish History in Jerusalem Comes to Life

An ancient Jewish ritual bath (mikve) was found below a private house in the Ein Kerem section of Jerusalem. Archeologists have dated it to the Second Temple period – approximately 500 – 600 years before the birth of Muhammad and the creation of Islam.

The ancient, 2,000-year-old ritual bath (mikve) was discovered below a living room floor during renovations carried out in a private house in the picturesque neighborhood of Ein Kerem in Jerusalem. Archaeologists of the Israel Antiquities Authority were amazed to discover that a pair of wooden doors beneath a stylized rug in the middle of a pleasant family’s living room concealed an ancient ritual bath.

Illustrative Photo Credit: Bill Rice [License]

The mikve, which is complete and quite large (length 3.5 m, width 2.4 m, depth 1.8 m), is rock-hewn and meticulously plastered according to the Jewish laws of purity. A staircase leads to the bottom of the immersion pool. Pottery vessels dating to the time of the Second Temple (first century CE) and traces of fire that might constitute evidence of the destruction of 66-70 CE were discovered inside the bath. In addition, fragments of stone vessels were found which were common during the Second Temple period because stone cannot be contaminated and remains pure.

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