Second Temple Era Mikveh, Ritual Bath, Discovered In Ein Kerem, Jerusalem

Ancient steps lead to a 2,000 year old mikveh, Jewish ritual bath, that was discovered under the living room of a private house in the Ein Kerem neighborhood of Jerusalem, Israel, during renovations, July 1, 2015. The Israeli owners of the private house discovered a pair of wooden doors beneath a rug which led to the ancient ritual bath. Archeologist say the discovery is important since Ein Kerem is considered a place sacred to Christianity where according to the New Testament, John the Baptist was born and where his pregnant mother Elizabeth met Mary, mother of Jesus. The discovery of the ritual bath reinforces the hypothesis there was a Jewish settlement from the time of the Second Temple located in what is the Ein Kerem neighborhood today. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI