A mikveh (ritual purification bath) dating to the Second Temple period was recently discovered beneath the Western Wall Plaza. The rectangular mikveh is 10 feet (3.05 m) long, 4.5 feet (1.35 m) wide, and 6 feet (1.85 m) deep. It was hewn out of bedrock and plastered, with four steps leading down into it. A layer of ash from the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 sealed pottery vessel fragments and stone vessels, which helped archaeologists date the installation. The mikveh is near the main entrances to the Temple Mount, as ancient Jewish people had to purify themselves in a ritual bath before they were allowed to enter the temple.
Source: https://www.iaa.org.il/en/page/news-index (See “Ahead of the Tenth of Tevet: A Mikveh (Ritual Purification Bath) from the Final Days of the Second Temple Period Discovered in Archaeological Excavations beneath the Western Wall Plaza” [December 29, 2025])
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