Ancient Jewish Ritual Bath Discovered Intact in Israel

An intact 2,000-year-old Jewish ritual bath, known as a mikveh, has been excavated from the ground in southern Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced. The discovery provides evidence for a previously unknown Jewish community from the Second Temple period in the area of Kiryat Gat.

The 25-ton mikveh was found in July during preparations for a new neighborhood construction. Archaeologists extracted the entire structure, which will later be displayed publicly in the city.

"The Jewish settlement we discovered here is the first and the only known one in this area," said Elena Kogan-Zahavi, who led the excavations. "In the Judean Lowlands, many Jewish settlements from the Roman period are known, but in the seam between the Judean Lowlands and the northern Negev no Jewish settlement was known until now."

Alongside the mikveh, archaeologists also found stone measuring vessels, which were commonly used by Jews during the Second Temple era. The findings suggest that the settlement was likely abandoned during the second-century Bar Kokhba Revolt against the Romans. Later, during the Byzantine period approximately 500 years after the revolt, the area was resettled by a different population.

Moving the large artifact required significant engineering effort. The road was closed to traffic and escort vehicles accompanied the truck transporting the mikveh to the Israel Antiquities Authority storehouse. "Once you lift up a structure like this, there’s no going back," said Eyal Kaho, senior conservator at the IAA, who oversaw the operation.

Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu stated that the discovery "The ritual bath uncovered in Kiryat Gat adds an important dimension to our understanding of Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel during the Second Temple period." He added that its future integration into the neighborhood's public space will allow residents and visitors to connect with tangible evidence of ancient Jewish life.