An archeological discovery is always exciting in Israel. Excavation for new roads seems to frequently exhume history. This time, however they struck it rich by finding a rare mikvah (ritual bath) dating back to the late Second Temple Period.

Archeologists from the Israel Antiques Authority have recently discovered a rare mikvah from the late Second Temple era due to a to the road construction in the Kiryat Menachem neighborhood three miles west of the Old City in Jerusalem.

 “Numerous ritual baths have been excavated in Jerusalem in recent years, but the water supply system that we exposed in this excavation is unique and unusual, said IAA excavation director Benyamin Storchan.

The mikvah consists of an underground chamber displayed at the stairways. The mikvah had received rainwater from three collecting basins that were hewn on the roof of the bath, and the pure water was conveyed inside the chamber through channels. The ritual baths known until now usually consist of a closed cavity that was supplied with rainwater conveyed from a small rock-cut pool located nearby.

The  mikvah complex that was exposed in the latest discovery is a more sophisticated and intricate system. The bath was apparently associated with a settlement in a picturesque valley outside of the Old City in the Second Temple period. Presumably, due to the rainfall regime and arid conditions of the region, the inhabitants sought special techniques that would make it possible to store every drop of water.

The mikvah adheres to all of the Jewish laws, such as collecting the natural water directly without human contact, and ensuring that the water does not seep into the earth which is why the bath was treated with a special kind of plaster.

According to Jerusalem district archaeologist Amit, the community has expressed great interest in the conservation of the mikvah, Re’em .The Israel Antiquities Authority and the Moriah Company, which is in the process of building the new road, are working together make the treasure a site for the benefit of the residents and visitors. After the mikvah went out of use, the site served as a quarry and the channels filled up with earth. During the 20th century, the immersion chamber was cleaned, a round opening was breached in its ceiling and it was used as a cistern but never discovered as an ancient mikvah until recently.