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A 1,600 -year -old Jewish bath, also known as Mikveh, was recently discovered in Italy, and the finding is the oldest of its kind in Europe.
On March 10, Italian officials announced the discovery, which was found at the archaeological site of Ostia Antica last summer.
In a translated statement from Italian to English, the Ostia Antica archaeological park described that the Mikveh was a “small semi-subterraine room with a well underneath.”
The images released by the officials show the old stairs that lead to what was once used as a ritual bath. The steps show “remarkable wear traces”, according to the statement, and are “flanked by two masonry shoulders covered inside with hydraulic plaster.”
“In the northeast corner, immediately above the north reach, there is a hole in the masonry, it probably intends to house a pipe for the water supply,” says the statement.
The recently discovered Mikvah, found in Italy, dates back to about 1,600 years. (Ostia Antica Archaeological Park)
The diameter of the well measures approximately 3.5 feet and is “crowned by a brick ring probably added at a later time, certainly intended for groundwater collection.”
As archaeologists dug deeper, they also discovered a lamp of the 5th centuries in AD, approximately the same age as the Mikveh.
The lamp was decorated with the image of a Menorah and a Lulav, or a palm branch associated with the Jewish vacations of Sukkot, and the combination of all the previous discoveries pointed out the use of the site like Mikveh.
“The walls covered with hydraulic plaster, the presence of a collection of groundwater well … and the discovery of the lamp with Jewish symbols At the bottom of the well … it leads us to raise the hypothesis of an interpretation as a Jewish ritual bath, “said the statement.
A lamp with Jewish symbols was also found, such as a Menorah and a Lulav, on the site. (Ostia Antica Archaeological Park)
“Arrested for people to dive (but also objects) for purification purposes, (Mikvehs) They usually appear as rectangular basins, in most cases covered, excavated in the soil and covered with hydraulic plaster, with a row of steps that occupy all their width, directly or indirectly connected to a spring, a rainwater collection tank, “the press release described.
The Jews use the Mikveh to achieve ritual purity, such as during a religious conversion, while cleaning the utensils or while preparing for a wedding. The last discovery is the only old Mikve in the Roman era that is found in Europe.
The only one Old Mikveh In Europe it is located in Palazzo Bianca in Syracuse, Sicily, which “was probably built near the local synagogue between the 15th and 15th centuries,” said the statement. That places it after the fall of Rome in 476 AD, which Ostia Antica Mikveh seems to be earlier.
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Although few old Mikvehs survive in Europe, they certainly exist. Historians say that the MIVKEHS decline can be pointed out to the Roman persecution of the Jews in the first century.
Ostia Antica, which translates as “ancient ostia”, is an archaeological site for the ancient city of Ostia. (Ostia Antica Archaeological Park)
“Widely distributed in Judea, Galilea and Idumea in the Herodian era, particularly within the residential buildings, they decreased progressively in the second century until they disappeared almost completely at the beginning of the second, in relation to the complete Romanization of the region after the destruction of the temple in the year 70 and the posterior replica of Bar Kokhba in 135 d.
Alessandro Giuli, the Italian Minister of Culture, said that the recent discovery “strengthens the historical awareness of this place as a true crossroads of coexistence and exchange of cultures, Cradle of tolerance between different peoples that found their union in the Roman civilization. “
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“It represents a single one in the Roman Mediterranean area outside the Earth of Israel and witnesses how deep was the Jewish presence in the heart of the Roman era,” Giuli said.
In a statement, Victor Fadlun, president of the Jewish community of Rome, said the discovery caused “emotion and pride.”
The Jewish community of Rome welcomed the discovery of Mikveh. (Ostia Antica Archaeological Park)
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“It is the sign of a living presence, which has been perpetuated over the centuries and takes us today,” said Fadlun. “The demonstration of an identity that Many generations of Jews They have managed to preserve, defend and improve.
“I thank those who have made decisive scientific and financial contributions for this important result.”
