A very large and unusual room, with a mikveh [ritual bath] from the Hashmonaim period (some 2,100 years ago), was discovered accidentally in Jerusalem's Old City a number of weeks ago, near the Hasmonean Tunnels. The room is 20 meters high, 10 by 10 meters wide, with the mikveh at the bottom, including a stairwell leading to it. Along one wall was found a water conduit from the same period. Findings from various periods were found in the room, such as Roman floor tiles, a mosaic floor, walls from the Crusader days, and a ceiling from the Mamluk period (1250-1516). Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, Rabbi of the Western Wall, commented,
"We were planning to build an educational center at the site, in order to be able to bring Jewish students and tell them that they are part of the Jewish chain of tradition, etc. - and then we found this special site... We know that there is much more to be found in this area - the Old City is built atop many ruins - but we know that we can't find everything, because people live here... We hope to see the building of the Holy Temple soon, and then the past will truly be open to us..."
The newly-discovered ancient mikveh room is planned to be open to the public within a few weeks.
"We were planning to build an educational center at the site, in order to be able to bring Jewish students and tell them that they are part of the Jewish chain of tradition, etc. - and then we found this special site... We know that there is much more to be found in this area - the Old City is built atop many ruins - but we know that we can't find everything, because people live here... We hope to see the building of the Holy Temple soon, and then the past will truly be open to us..."
The newly-discovered ancient mikveh room is planned to be open to the public within a few weeks.