Israel – Two Thousand Year Old Mikva Found Near Beith Shemesh

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    Beith Shemesh – Archaeologists uncovered a ritual bath which dates back nearly 2,000 years this week, in an excavation started two months ago a few kilometers west of Beit Shemesh. Experts say the bath was used during the Second Temple period.

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    The ritual bath, known in Hebrew as a mikve, is the first piece of archeological evidence of  Jewish settlement in the Beit Shemesh area during the Second Temple period.

    The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has been aware of artifacts buried in the site following ground surveys for a number of years, but only after a pipeline company submitted a request to build underground pipes in the area near Kibbutz Tzora did archeologists discover the buried mikve.

    While excavating the mikve, Pablo Betzer, the Judea district inspector for the Israel Antiquities Authority, said they also discovered nearby underground tunnels that were probably used for the Bar-Kochba revolt; and the Jewish settlement containing the bath was likely destroyed during or after the revolt.

    The ritual bath has yet to be fully uncovered, and the IAA has yet to set a date to complete the excavation.

    Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem Post


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    17 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    12 years ago

    What about the remains of the houses of the 600 people who lived in the village of Zakkariyya right on Beit Shemesh who were expelled and their homes destroyed in 1948?

    12 years ago

    I have photos of an ancient Mikvah which I took right outside Ramat Beit Shemesh in 2004, there was some kind of deep hole in the ground right nearby carved into a stone.
    I don’t think this is the one they’re talking about though because that one was completely uncovered and has some chairs next to it which told me that others knew about it as well. Also that one was closer to Moshav Azonoach.

    VeyIzMir
    VeyIzMir
    12 years ago

    Did anyone find anything that suggests that the Palestinians were there at that time?

    Abbas, do you have any comments?

    favish
    favish
    12 years ago

    #3 they used to go to mikvah before ascending the ‘dome mosque’ so they shouldnt be ‘temay mes’

    skvererebbe
    skvererebbe
    12 years ago

    now did they find any mikva gelt ?

    chochmo
    chochmo
    12 years ago

    Was it “bor al gabei bor” or was it “bor b’tzad bor” ?

    12 years ago

    I hear they Mikva they found also had a turnstile to allow entrance. Now thats a Chiddush.

    shtill
    shtill
    12 years ago

    For us traditional thinkers who don’t believe the carbon dating method, hence our rejection of a multi billion year old universe, shouldn’t believe the dating of this mikveh. It is probably the old boyaner mikveh, at best 102 years ago. (Please throw soft objects only)

    shtill
    shtill
    12 years ago

    For us traditional thinkers who don’t believe the carbon dating method, hence our rejection of a multi billion year old universe, shouldn’t believe the dating of this mikveh. It is probably the old boyaner mikveh, at best 102 years ago. (Please throw soft objects only)