By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-09-30 14:15:41 | Updated at 2026-09-30 15:32:45
1 hour ago
Archaeologists have unearthed an extraordinary complex of ritual baths at the base of Jerusalem's Temple Mount.
The site was discovered during digs in the Ophel area, near the Triple Gate along the mount's southern wall.
It spans roughly 280 square metres.
Its scale, architectural design and proximity to a major Temple entrance indicate the complex was purpose-built for Jewish worshippers who ritually immersed themselves before ascending to the Second Temple some 2,000 years ago.
Researchers are calling it an unprecedented find.
The excavation directors described finding a monumental stone structure dedicated solely to purification this near to the Temple Mount as without parallel.
The complex includes three large public mikvaot, Jewish ritual baths, a plastered pool, and an elaborate system designed to channel and drain water throughout the site.
One of the baths is remarkably well preserved.
Archaeologists have unearthed an extraordinary complex of ritual baths at the base of Jerusalem's Temple Mount
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It stands approximately 4.2 metres high and still retains its original vaulted stone ceiling.
According to the researchers, such a ceiling is a rare survival in Jerusalem's archaeological record.
Professors Uzi Leibner and Orit Peleg-Barkat of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem directed the excavations.
They said the building's dimensions and layout suggest it served as a public purification facility for pilgrims entering the Temple.
Jerusalem's Temple Mount serves as one of the most religiously and politically significant sites in the world
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Dozens of coins recovered from the site date to the Great Revolt against Rome.
The find helps researchers pinpoint the complex's final phase of activity to around 70 CE, the year Roman forces destroyed the Second Temple.
The find resulted from five seasons of excavation by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in partnership with the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology.
Professors Leibner and Peleg-Barkat said the numismatic evidence, combined with the building's monumental character and its position beside a principal entrance to the Temple Mount, reinforced their identification of it as a large-scale pilgrim purification centre.
Last month, two significant archaeological breakthroughs in Israel emerged, shedding fresh light on locations mentioned in biblical scripture.
Researchers have identified an extensive industrial and commercial settlement in Ramat Gan, close to Tel Aviv, dating back 1,300 years and situated along a historic route connecting the ancient port of Joppa with other major cities.
The Israel Antiquities Authority disclosed the findings earlier this month following excavations undertaken in preparation for bus terminal construction works.
Separately, a team led by Dr Steven Notley has declared with confidence that they have located the lost biblical city of Bethsaida after a decade of excavation at the site known as el-Araj.
