Ancient Ritual Bath Revealed

November 25, 2014

A 1,900 year old ritual bath (miqwe) was recently exposed at Ha-Ela Junction in excavations undertaken by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). An enormous 1,700-year-old water cistern was revealed nearby in which graffiti was discovered that had been engraved on the reservoir’s ceiling during the Second World War.

According to Yoav Tsur, excavation director, “We exposed a miqwe in which there are five steps; the fifth step being a bench where one could sit at the edge of the immersion pool. We found fragments of magnificent pottery vessels dating to the second century, among them lamps, red burnished vessels, a jug and cooking pots.

Apparently the miqwe ceased to be used during the second century, perhaps in light of the Bar Kokhba revolt. A rock-hewn opening was exposed south of the miqwe, which appears to have been the entrance to a large water cistern. It seems that in an early phase it was a smaller reservoir and functioned as the otzar (water collecting vat) for the miqwe. When the miqwe ceased to be used, the cistern’s original cavity was increased to its current large dimensions.

During the course of the excavation, the archaeologists were surprised to discover some contemporary yet intriguing finds: graffiti engraved on the ceiling of the cistern indicating the place had been exposed until the 1940s. The inscriptions were read by Assaf Peretz, an archaeologist and historian with the IAA, who said, “Among other things, two English names were identified that are carved in the rock: Cpl Scarlett and Walsh. The date 30/05/1940 appears below the graffiti. Since the initials Cpl signify the rank of corporal, we can assume that these were soldiers who wanted to leave their mark there.”

According to Tsur, “The finds from this excavation allow us to reconstruct a double story: about the Jewish settlement in the second century, probably against the background of the events of the Bar Kokhba revolt, and another story, no less fascinating, about a group of soldiers who visited the site c. 1,700 years later.”

Source: Excerpts of press release by Israel Antiquities Authority

Photo Credit: IAA/Ashernet