Ancient discovery from time of Jesus emerges near Jerusalems Temple Mount

Archaeologists have uncovered a remarkably well-preserved 2,000-year-old ritual bathing complex near Jerusalem’s Temple Mount that dates back to the time of Jesus.It was likely used by Jewish pilgrims visiting the ancient holy site, with an expert noting the discovery helps highlight the broader significance of baptism. The excavation, announced earlier this fall, was carried out by archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.The discovery was made in the Ophel, an archaeological area immediately south of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, near an ancient entrance known as the Triple Gate.The complex was built in the early first century A.D.

It features three large ritual baths, a plastered pool and a paved plaza, along with an extensive water system.Located near the Triple Gate, one of the main entrances to the Temple Mount, the complex likely served pilgrims who underwent ritual purification before visiting the Second Temple, researchers said.Officials described one of the baths as “exceptionally well-preserved,” noting that it stands nearly 14 feet tall and retains its original vaulted stone ceiling and a shaft that once supplied it with water.“The preservation of a Second Temple-period structure from floor to ceiling is exceedingly rare in Jerusalem, particularly in such a central and historically significant location,” the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a statement.Excavation directors Professor Uzi Leibner and Professor Orit Peleg-Barkat described the monumental stone structure devoted entirely to ritual purification as “a truly unparalleled phenomenon.”The archaeologists added, “The complex goes to the heart of our research into the archaeology of Second Temple-period pilgrimage: how the area immediately south of the Temple Mount was designed to accommodate the many pilgrims who came to Jerusalem to visit the Temple, and what activities and rituals took place near its gates.”The complex also bears evidence of Jerusalem’s dest...