OSTIA, ITALY—Archaeologists digging in the ancient city of Ostia uncovered what they believe is a rare example of a mikveh, or Jewish ritual bath, La Brújula Verde reports. The structure, which dates to between the fourth and the sixth centuries a.d., would have been an essential feature for ritual purification. It was located in a semisubterranean building that was connected to a well-fed natural spring. The room contains a semicircular apse and includes a staircase with three stairs that descend toward the pool. The building’s drainage system ensured the constant renewal of fresh water. Among the objects recovered during the excavation was an oil lamp decorated with a menorah. Ostia was located at the mouth of the Tiber River and served as ancient’s Rome’s primary port. The new discovery, along with a previously excavated Jewish synagogue at the site, reinforces the notion that there was a significant Jewish presence among the trading community living in Ostia from the first through the sixth centuries a.d. According to Alessandro Giuli, Italy’s Minister of Culture, this new find strengthens Ostia’s image as a meeting point for different civilizations within the Mediterranean world. To read about a mikveh unearthed in a village where a Jewish community thrived for more than a millennium, go to "Letter from the Dead Sea: Life in a Busy Oasis."
