The ruins of an ancient mikvah are a new archaeological find in the old area of Jerusalem. This building was a reservoir and was used for ritual washing and purification. The Mikvah was discovered by the Institute of Archeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The building was built in the 1st century. n. e., cutting it into the rock on the territory of the villa. Access to it was open to the Jewish elite. Next to the villa was a cistern for storing water.
During the reign of Herod, wealthy citizens lived in the area. Nearby, the ruins of several similar objects have already been repeatedly studied, but the importance of this mikvah is emphasized by its close location to the Temple Mount. This, in turn, leads to another question: who was the owner of the villa?
In ancient times, there were hundreds of public mikvahs in Jerusalem, in which local residents and pilgrims performed ablutions before visiting the Temple. Today, Orthodox Jews continue this tradition, with special strictness in the observance of the ritual, the Hasidim, who are immersed in water before every Shabbat and holidays.
In addition to the mikvah, archaeologists have found various artifacts from the Roman to the Ottoman period. At Violity, you can purchase ancient items from everyday life and add to your collection of antiquities.
