Ancient bath unearthed during construction in Israel
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
Archaeologists in Israel discovered a 25-ton mikveh, an ancient Jewish ritual bath, while conducting salvage excavations before construction began. The bath stood on a previously unknown settlement dating to around the 2nd century CE, likely abandoned during the Bar Kokhba revolt, and briefly resettled in the Byzantine era.
Researchers carefully extracted the stone structure, supporting it with steel beams and a crane, due to its size and the fragile ancient plaster covering its walls.
They protected the plaster with gauze, adhesive, and foam to prevent damage during the move. The team transported the mikveh to a warehouse in Bet Guvrin, a town about 20 minutes away, closing roads and using escort vehicles for the journey. They plan to reinstall it in a new residential area of Kiryat Gat, named Kármé Gat, and display it in a park.
The discovery marks the first known Jewish settlement in this transitional region between the Judean Foothills and the northern Negev, an area where archaeologists had not previously identified such a site. Alongside the mikveh, the team also found stone vessels commonly used by Jews at the time, as they were considered ritually pure.
