A Second Temple Period Ritual Bath Discovered in the City of David

A private ritual bath (mikveh) from the Second Temple period, has been recently revealed at the excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority north of the Stepped Street in the City of David. This is the second ritual bath to be uncovered so far alongside the main drainage channel from the Second Temple period here.

The plastered mikveh, dated to the Early Roman period- the Second Temple period, was discovered in excavations approximately 60 meters south of the Temple Mount, at the Stepped Street excavation site.

“The discovery of this small mikveh, which appears to have been privately used, provides further evidence that this area of the city was home to affluent Jewish residents,” say archaeologists Shlomo Greenberg, Rikki Zalut Har-Tuv, and Fleur Haber, who led the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority. “This is because a private mikveh was a luxury that not everyone could afford.” The mikveh was found near the main drainage channel of that period, which was designed to carry rainwater and has been extensively excavated.

This mikveh provides a rare glimpse into the daily life of Jerusalem’s residents on the eve of the destruction of the Second Temple. It measures about 2 meters deep and features five steps. It was uncovered beneath the remains of a house, alongside evidence of collapsed floors and debris that fell into it during the destruction.

Additionally, stone vessels, characteristic of the Jewish population, and fragments of pottery dating to the Early Roman period were discovered within the mikveh.

“The discovery of this mikveh is especially exciting because it was found intact and is the second one to have been revealed so far in the excavations of the Stepped Street, in the City of David, even though we know of others in the area” the researchers noted. “Its proximity to the Temple Mount highlights the great importance that Jerusalem’s residents of that time saw in the laws of ritual purity, as described in historical texts—‘Purity spread among Israel.