Ancient Ritual Bath Unearthed Intact in Southern Israel

An extraordinary engineering and preservation operation successfully extracted a nearly 2,000-year-old mikveh, or ritual bath, from the ground in Carmei Gat, southern Israel. The ancient structure, dating back to the Second Temple period and weighing approximately 25 tons, was lifted as a single, intact unit. This complex feat required meticulous planning and execution by the Israel Antiquities Authority's preservation administration, who spent two weeks reinforcing the mikveh before its removal.

A massive crane with a 300-ton lifting capacity was necessary to hoist the mikveh due to its weight, size, and location. The discovery, funded by the Israel Land Authority, provides evidence of a previously unknown Jewish settlement in the area from approximately 2,000 years ago.

Following the completion of development work in the area, the ancient mikveh is slated to be returned to Carmei Gat and integrated into a public open space within the neighborhood where it was originally found.