A 1,600-year-old Jewish bath, also known as Mikube, was recently discovered in Italy. This discovery is the oldest in Europe.
On March 10, Italian officials announced the discoveries that were discovered at an archaeological site in Ostia Antica last summer.
In a statement translated from Italian to English, the Archaeological Park in Ostia Antica described Mikube as “a small semi underground room under the well.”
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Photos released by officials show ancient stairs leading to what was once used as a ritual bath. According to the statement, the step shows “significant wear traces” and “two masonry shoulders are pinched,” with the shoulders covered in hydraulic plasters.
“The northeastern corner of the northeastern corner has a masonry hole just above the northern bridge, presumably intended to accommodate a pipeline for water supply,” the statement said.
The recently discovered Mikuba, discovered in Italy, dates back about 1,600 years ago. (Ostia Antica Archaeological Park)
The well is about 3.5 feet in diameter and “probably crowned by a brick ring added later, and certainly intended for groundwater collection.”
When archaeologists delve deeper, they also discovered lamps from the Gregorian calendar of the 5th or 6th century. This is about the same age as Mikube.
The lamp was decorated with images of Menorah and Lerav, or palm branches associated with Scott’s Jewish holidays. And the combination of all the above findings pointed to its use as a site mikube.
“The discovery of a wall covered with hydraulic plaster, the presence of a collection of groundwater and wells, and the lamp with Jewish symbols at the bottom of the well leads to assuming an interpretation of Jewish ritual bath,” the statement said.
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Lamps with Jewish symbols such as Menorah and Lerav were also found on the site. (Ostia Antica Archaeological Park)
“The purpose of people diving for cleansing purposes (mikbe) is generally listed as a rectangular basin, and most often it is covered, dug into the ground, covered in hydraulic plaster, occupying the entire width of the staircase, directly or indirectly connected to the spring.
Mikbe is used by Jews to achieve ritual purity, such as during religious conversion, cooking utensils and wedding preparations. The most recent discovery is the only ancient Roman mikbe found in Europe.
The only other ancient mikbe in Europe is located in the Bianca Palace in Syracuse in Sycarie, and was “built near a local synagogue between the 6th and 7th centuries,” the release states. It places it in 476 AD, 476 after the fall of Rome.
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There were few ancient mikbes surviving in Europe, but they certainly existed. Historians say that the decline of Mibquez could point to the persecution of Rome by Jews in the first century.
Translated into “Ancient Ostia”, Ostia Antica is an archaeological site of the ancient city of Ostia. (Ostia Antica Archaeological Park)
“It was widely spread in Jews, Galilee and Idumea, especially within residential buildings, especially within the Herodian period, but gradually declined in the first century, in connection with the complete Romanization of the region, following the destruction of the temple in 70 AD and the subsequent reappearance of the Baakokba, until it disappeared almost completely at the beginning of the second century,” the release said.
Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuri said the recent discoveries “enhance the historical perception of this place as a true crossroads in cultural coexistence and exchange, as a cradle of tolerance among the different people who have found unions in Roman civilizations.”
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“It represents something unique about the Roman Mediterranean region outside of Israel’s land, and proves that Jewish presence is at the heart of Roman times,” Ziuri pointed out.
In a statement, Victor Fadrun, president of the Roman Jewish community, said the discovery brought “emotions and pride.”
The Roman Jewish community welcomed the discovery of Mikbe. (Ostia Antica Archaeological Park)
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“It is a sign of a living being, and has been persistent for centuries and is connected to us today,” Fadrun said. “Many generations of Jews managed to manage to preserve, defend and strengthen the demonstration of their identity over the years.
“We would like to thank those who made a decisive scientific and economic contribution to this important outcome.”
