Ancient Ritual Bath Complex Uncovered Near Jerusalem's Temple Mount

Archaeologists have unearthed a large public ritual bath complex, dating back approximately 2,000 years, in the Ophel area at the foot of Jerusalem's Temple Mount. The sprawling 280-square-meter site features three large mikvahs (ritual baths), a plastered pool, and an integrated water and drainage system. Notably, one mikvah has been preserved to an unusual height of about 4.2 meters and includes a rare vaulted stone ceiling for Jerusalem.

The complex's location near the "Triple Gate" in the southern wall of the Temple Mount suggests its role in preparing for the influx of pilgrims during the Second Temple period. The discovery of dozens of coins from the Great Revolt against the Romans provides a timeframe for the complex's last use, around the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 CE.

Excavation directors Professor Uzi Leibner and Professor Orit Peleg-Barakat from the Hebrew University described the find as unprecedented, highlighting the monumental hewn-stone structure dedicated entirely to purification, situated at the base of the Temple Mount near one of its gates.

The excavation, conducted over five seasons by the Hebrew University in collaboration with the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology and funded by the Israel Science Foundation and the Hartog Center for the Study of Jerusalem's Archaeology, has yielded significant insights into ancient pilgrimage practices.