Mystery Settlement Second Temple-Era Ritual Bath Found 

IFCJ Canada  |  September 24, 2026

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced that a 2,000-year-old mikveh, a Jewish ritual bath, was found in Kiryat Gat in southern Israel. The discovery itself was made in July. JNS reports that the mikveh was found ahead of the construction of a new neighbourhood and that its location provides evidence of a previously unknown Jewish settlement dating to the Second Temple period. 

“The Jewish settlement we discovered here is the first and the only known one in this area,” said Elena Kogan-Zahavi, who led the excavations at the site. “In the Judean Lowlands, many Jewish settlements from the Roman period are known, but in the seam between the Judean Lowlands and the northern Negev no Jewish settlement was known until now.” 

The excavation also uncovered stone measuring vessels which were widely used by Jews during the Second Temple period. 

Their findings indicate the settlement was apparently abandoned during the Bar Kokhba Revolt against the Romans in the second century C.E. About 500 years later, during the Byzantine period, the area was revived, but with an entirely different population composition. 

Mikvehs were used by Jews for ritual purification during both Temple periods. Because ritual baths are often carved from stone, they are frequently found well-preserved. Each one discovered provides a glimpse into how far Jewish communities extended – some have even been found as far away as Italy. 

 The ritual bath was carefully lifted from the ground by crane and transported to Kiryat Gat. Once the new neighbourhood is complete, the ancient mikveh will be incorporated into a public space for the community to experience and appreciate.