| Jerusalem |
| The Western Wall Tunnels, The Miqve’ot (ritual baths) |
| An excavation accompanied by conservation, conservation of the miqve’ot |
| Orderer | The Western Wall Heritage Foundation |
| Duration | April 2006-November 2006 |
| Implemented by: |
Evgeny Ivanovsky
Arch. Shachar Puni
Aliza Van Zaiden
Avner Hillman
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In excavations that were conducted in the Western Wall tunnel compound in 2006 by archaeologists Professor Dan Bahat and Avi Solomon, in cooperation with the Conservation Department of the Antiquities Authority, a group of ritual baths (miqve’ot) adjacent to the Western Wall was exposed for the first time. Finding the miqve’ot in this area is evidence of the day-to-day life in the Second Temple period. The miqve’ot were connected to a hall that was previously discovered to the west of them – the Hasmonean Room: the double entrance in the eastern wall of the room created a distinct movement pattern that separated those entering in order to immerse themselves in the miqve from those exiting it.
The excavation was conducted prior to preparing the halls for visits by the handicapped. Three miqve’ot were exposed: the northern bath was revealed in its entirety; the eastern bath was excavated only in its southern part; and the southern bath, which is the largest of the three miqve’ot, was only exposed in its northern part. The excavation area is located at the lowest level of the halls in the Western Wall tunnels, dated to the Second Temple period (the first century CE). One of the exploratory pits that was dug by Charles Warren who explored the region in the 1880’s and 90’s is located there (the miqve was not discovered then). The southern bath is the largest and most impressive of the miqve’ot that were discovered. Its plan is elongated which is atypical of ritual baths. Professor Bahat believes the bath was used for immersing vessels.
The Construction Materials:
The upper part of the southern miqve is built of ashlar stones made of mizzi achmar or mizzi hilo (the hardest types of Jerusalem stone) that were meticulously worked; it is probably a later addition. The lower parts of the bath are built of fieldstones and are treated with plaster composed of indigenous soil, pit lime and ashes from burnt wood. The eastern miqve is built in a similar manner and both are built like the Shiloah Pool which dates to the same period and is located approximately 2 kilometers south of the baths. The numerous layers of plaster in the baths attest to the upkeep of the installations that was carried out at the time of their use.
The Conservation Measures that were taken at the Site Included:
1. The excavation baulks from 1867 were reinforced with permanent supports. Some of the support consists of debesh construction; some involve the use of railroad ties.
2. The preservation of the plaster was carried out during the course of the excavation and included stabilizing its edges and the application of a sacrificial layer. This layer was prepared from sifted excavation soil and hydraulic lime.
3. The restoration of the lower water channel between the miqve’ot.
4. The restoration of the stairs in the southern miqve.
5. The installation of wooden treads as part of the preparation to open the site to the public.
The conservation that accompanied the excavation and the fact that most of the conservation measures were implemented by conservators during the course of the excavation contributed to maximizing the preservation of the remains. It is recommended that conservation maintenance be performed on a routine basis. The measures that are required include renewing the edges of the plaster, renewing the plaster fill in the lacunae and painting the wooden treads.
To view the figures, click on the figure caption
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