Ancient Ritual Bath Moved Intact in Israel's Kiryat Gat

Archaeologists in Kiryat Gat, Israel, have successfully relocated a 2,000-year-old ritual bath, or mikveh, weighing approximately 25 tons, in one piece. The discovery, found in the Carmei Gat neighborhood during preventative excavations for construction, offers new insights into Jewish settlement in the Roman period in southern Israel. Researchers estimate the mikveh belonged to a previously unknown Jewish settlement situated between the Judean lowlands and the northern Negev desert. Characteristic stone measuring vessels, used in Jewish practices during the Second Temple period, were also found at the site.

Archaeologists Elena Kogan-Zahavi, Maayan Margulis, and Shira Lifshitz noted that while Jewish settlements from the Roman era are known in the Judean lowlands, none had been identified in this specific area before. The site appears to have been abandoned around the time of the Bar Kokhba revolt in the 2nd century CE, later reoccupied by a different population in the Byzantine era, about five centuries later.

The rapid development in Carmei Gat threatened the mikveh's preservation, prompting the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) to move it rather than dismantle it. The IAA transported the entire structure to its National Treasures department in Beit Guvrin. The delicate operation involved four conservation specialists working for two weeks to prepare the mikveh, reinforcing its ancient plaster with gauze and adhesives and creating a supporting metal frame underneath.

A 300-ton crane and a specialized transport vehicle were required for the move, which necessitated temporary road closures and an escort. The IAA plans to return the mikveh to Carmei Gat once construction is complete, integrating it into a public space to ensure the ancient discovery remains visible within the modern neighborhood. The excavations were funded by the Israel Land Authority as part of the neighborhood's development, with an announced budget of 28 million shekels.