Jerusalem – Israeli authorities said Wednesday they have identified a rare, well-preserved 2,000-year-old Jewish ritual bath hidden under the floorboards of a home in Jerusalem.
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Archaeologists said the discovery in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem neighborhood shines new light on ancient Jewish and early Christian communities in the area. But the discovery might be most noteworthy because the couple that owns the home literally kept the treasure hidden under a rug for three years before choosing to come clean.
In an interview, the wife said the family found evidence of the mikveh, or Jewish ritual bath, while renovating their home three years ago. Construction workers were using heavy machinery that sunk through a hole, leading the crew to discover the bath.
She said that she and her husband were unsure of the significance and continued with the planned construction. But they also preserved the discovery, adding a pair of wooden doors in the floor to allow access to the bath and concealing the entrance with a rug.
The couple’s curiosity, however, persisted. Earlier this week, they contacted the Israeli Antiquities Authority and reported their finding. The family asked that their names be withheld to protect their privacy.
Amit Reem, an archaeologist with the authority, estimated the ritual bath dates back to the first century B.C., around the time of the Second Jewish Temple. The bath remains largely intact, and includes a staircase leading to what was once a pool. Archeologists also found pottery and unique stone vessels dating to the same period.
According to Christian tradition, John the Baptist is said to have been born in the Jewish community around Ein Kerem around the first century. Reem said the discovery adds to the physical evidence of the Jewish community in the area, which he said has been “sporadic.”
Reem said it is not uncommon for households around Jerusalem to unearth Jewish antiquities under their floorboards, though he did not know how many cases there were. The family does not have to move and will keep the ritual bath preserved with the help of the Antiquities Authority.
Are they sure it’s not a Hamas tunnel?
“The family asked that their names be withheld to protect their privacy”
Then you scroll down and see a picture of the owner. Hmm.
Also, why does it seem that Israel goes out of its way to make a Christian connection to all Jewish discoveries?
I’m confused. The article states “The family asked that their names be withheld to protect their privacy.” and yet includes a picture of the owner standing in the mikvah area and the caption even mentions his first name. So much for protecting their privacy LoL
Must be a Palestinian mikvah
So neat. The mikveh has been around thousands of years yet many jews of today think it is just a tar pit for the highly holy.
This is so disgusting that there is not even a mikveh in my community of Akron, Ohio (save for a rabbi who is very selective for the one he has at his home and does not let men use it). This community has over 2000 jewish families and still not even a kosher restaurant.
There is no concern for a mitzvah in so many places.
Hard to live.
I drive 50 minutes each way to Cleveland to use the Mikveh which is dangerous in my advancing year. I can not think that anyone even cares. No one in my town wants to talk about jewish life and the chabad is not working hard enough for our faith.
This is particularly disappointing. I am sure my town is not the only city with a good number of jews and no rights for human purity and jewish expression.
Sure of course, the JCC has a huge weight room. We can be Goliath but we can not be David.
Where are the communities that work?
Thanks. An editorial, but the reasons are clear.
Are they sure that it is a mikvah and not just a water cistern ,as most houses had water cisterns adjacent to the living quarters and there were potsherds at the bottom which would not be good to have in a mikvah.
I would think that, coming from the Israel Antiquities Authority, BCE would be more appropriate. I guess they think ‘Before Common Sense’ — too bad their politics aren’t also ‘Already Dead’!