Archaeologists Uncover Purification Bath Evincing Destruction Of Israel's Second Temple
The purification bath was used by pilgrims and other Jews who visited the Temple later destroyed by Roman occupiers.
A rock-cut purification bath from the late Second Temple period, with ash marks that testify to the destruction of the temple, was discovered in December during excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Western Wall Heritage Foundation under the Western Wall plaza. This is part of the effort to uncover Jerusalem's glorious past. The mikveh is rectangular in shape, 3.05 m long, 1.35 m wide, and 1.85 m high. It is carved into the rock and its walls are plastered. Four hewn steps were exposed in its southern part, leading into it. The ancient facility was uncovered when it was sealed in the destruction layer of the Second Temple period - a layer dating to 70 CE.
Within this layer, which contains burnt ash that is evidence of the destruction, numerous pottery vessels and stone tools were discovered, typical of the Jewish population that lived in the city on the eve of the destruction.
The excavations under the Western Wall plaza, where the purification bath was discovered, are located close to the location of the Second Temple and two of the main entrances to it about 2,000 years ago – the Great Bridge to the north and Robinson's Arch to the south, and additional evidence was discovered in the area indicating activity related to purification, such as mikvahs, stone vessels, and more.
The Antiquities Authority researchers speculate that the purification bath served the Jews who lived in the area and the many pilgrims who visited the area and the Temple.
"It should be remembered that Jerusalem was a city of sanctuary," explains Ari Levy, director of the excavation on behalf of the Antiquities Authority . "As such, many aspects of daily life were adapted to this fact, and this is expressed, in particular, in the extreme strictness of the city's residents and the surrounding area regarding the laws of impurity and purity. This is why the saying "purity has broken out in Israel" was even coined. Among the clear archaeological findings that represent this phenomenon, purification baths and stone vessels stand out, many of which were discovered in excavations throughout the city and its surroundings," says Levy. "The reasons for using stone vessels are halakhic, and are rooted in the halakhic recognition that stone, unlike vessels made of clay and metal, does not become impure because of this, and stone vessels could also be used over time and in cycles."
Minister of Heritage Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu said, according to a release : "The discovery of the purification bath beneath the Western Wall plaza reinforces the understanding of how intertwined religious and everyday life in Jerusalem were during the days of the Temple. This exciting discovery, just before the fast of the 10th of Tevet, emphasizes the importance of continuing archaeological excavations and research in Jerusalem, and our duty to preserve this historical memory for future generations."
According to the Director General of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Mr. Mordechai (Suli) Eliav : "The discovery of a purification bath from the Second Temple period under the Western Wall plaza, and at its bottom ash from the destruction, are a thousand witnesses to the ability of the Jewish people to emerge from impurity to purity, from destruction to resurrection."
