Jerusalem boasts a new multimillion-dollar archaeological park. We recently reviewed a beautiful new guidebook devoted to this popular park.a Yet steps away from the path prescribed in this guidebook, in the heart of the City of David, the oldest part of Jerusalem, is a rarely visited and poorly maintained 2,000-year-old mikveh, or ritual purity bath (above). Nearby is another, very large mikveh that was obviously a public ritual bath rather than a private one. It is in no better condition than the one shown here. This large public mikveh borders an installation that archaeologist Raymond Weill, who dug here in 1913 and 1914, identified as one of the tombs of the kings of Judah—a much disputed, but sometimes defended, conclusion.b Whether or not it is a tomb, it deserves to be cleaned and respected. Today it is a repository for junk.
What are these mikva’ot doing here? Weill found the famous Theodotus inscription (which probably dates to the first century A.D. and honors a man named Theodotus for rebuilding a synagogue established by his forefathers) in a nearby cistern. This inscription provides evidence for a synagogue in this area as early as 150 B.C. Parts of the walls of the synagogue may one day be found. Were these mikva’ot associated with the synagogue? Or were they somehow connected with the adjacent tombs, if that is what they are? Did visitors need to purify themselves before visiting these tombs? Or were they required to purify themselves in the mikveh after visiting the tombs?
Intriguing questions. But there can be no question that it is shameful that the authorities are not taking better care of these remains.
Jerusalem boasts a new multimillion-dollar archaeological park. We recently reviewed a beautiful new guidebook devoted to this popular park.a Yet steps away from the path prescribed in this guidebook, in the heart of the City of David, the oldest part of Jerusalem, is a rarely visited and poorly maintained 2,000-year-old mikveh, or ritual purity bath (above). Nearby is another, very large mikveh that was obviously a public ritual bath rather than a private one. It is in no better condition than the one shown here. This large public mikveh borders an installation that archaeologist Raymond Weill, who dug here […]
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Nitza Rosovsky, review of The Jerusalem Archaeological Park, by Ronny Reich, Gideon Avni and Tamar Winter (Jerusalem: Israel Antiquities Authority, 1999), ReViews, BAR 26:03.
