Ritual Bath with Ashes Unearthed in Jerusalem, Linking to Second Temple's Destruction
A rock-hewn mikveh, or ritual bath, dating to the final days of the Second Temple period, was recently excavated by Israeli archeologists in Jerusalem.
The mikveh was discovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority and Western Wall Heritage Foundation near the ancient Temple site, between the Great Bridge and Robinson's Arch, which once served as the entrance to the Temple around 2,000 years ago, The Christian Post reported.
The mikveh contains ash remains that provide evidence of the destruction of the Temple and the majority of the city of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D.
"The exposure of a Second Temple period ritual bath beneath the Western Wall Plaza, with ashes from the destruction at its base, testifies like a thousand witnesses to the ability of the people of Israel to move from impurity to purity, from destruction to renewal,” Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, the director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, said in a statement posted by the IAA.
According to the IAA, the ritual bath is rectangular, measuring 3.05 meters (10 feet) in length, 1.35 meters (4.4 feet) in width, and 1.85 meters (6 feet) in height. Four hewn steps lead into the ancient ritual bath, carved into the bedrock, with plastered walls.
The ancient ritual bath, which has plastered walls and is carved into the bedrock, is accessible by four hewn stairs.
"Jerusalem should be remembered as a Temple city," said Ari Levy, the excavation director for the Israel Antiquities Authority. "As such, many aspects of daily life were adapted to this reality, and this is reflected especially in the meticulous observance of the laws of ritual impurity and purity by the city's residents and leaders. Indeed, the saying 'purity spread in Israel' was coined in this context.”
Additional findings from the excavations include mikva'ot (ritual baths) and stone vessels, in which the IAA noted that the discoveries attest “to activity related to ritual purity.”
“Among the most prominent archaeological finds representing this phenomenon are ritual baths and stone vessels, many of which have been uncovered in excavations throughout the city and its surroundings," Levy added.
"The reasons for using stone vessels are halakhic, rooted in the recognition that stone, unlike pottery and metal vessels, does not contract ritual impurity. As a result, stone vessels could be used over long periods and repeatedly,” the IAA excavation director stated.
Earlier this year, the IAA, in cooperation with the City of David Foundation, discovered a pottery fragment that shows communication between the Assyrian Empire and the king of Judah.
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Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Xantana
Originally published December 30, 2025.
