Second-Temple Mikveh With Charring From The Churban Found Under Western Wall

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A ritual purification bath (mikveh) dating back to the late Second Temple period has been discovered in archaeological excavations beneath the Western Wall plaza.

The rock-hewn mikveh was uncovered beneath a destruction layer, bearing witness to the events of the destruction of Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago. The Mikveh itself has heavy charring on its walls, testimony to the huge conflagrations at the time of the Second Temple’s destruction.

Researchers from the Israel Antiquities Authority believe that the mikveh was used by Jews who lived in the area as well as by pilgrims who came to Jerusalem, who were required to purify themselves before ascending to the Temple.

**חשיפה מדהימה**
בסמיכות לעשרה בטבת: מקווה טהרה משלהי ימי הבית השני התגלה בחפירות ארכיאולוגיות תחת רחבת הכותל.

המקווה החצוב בסלע נחשף תחת שכבת חורבן עדות למאורעות חורבן ירושלים לפני כ-2,000 שנה.
חוקרי רשות העתיקות משערים, שמקווה הטהרה שימש את היהודים שחיו במרחב ואת עולי הרגל. pic.twitter.com/JPM0UOatcU

— מה חדש. What’s new❓ (@Gloz111) December 29, 2025

What the Israel Antiquities Authority is exposing here are stones that tell stories,” explains Ari Levy, the excavation director, his voice filled with emotion. “Stones that connect us to eras, to people, to hardships, to moments in history.”

The mikveh, whose rectangular dimensions have been remarkably well preserved, is carved into bedrock and plastered along its walls. It measures 3.05 meters in length, 1.35 meters in width, and 1.85 meters in height. On its southern side, four carved steps leading down into the bath were uncovered. The mikveh was found sealed beneath the destruction layer. Within the ash, pottery and stone vessels were discovered, artifacts characteristic of the Jewish population that lived in the city just before everything went up in flames.

The dramatic discovery is taking place precisely now, in chilling proximity to the fast of the Tenth of Tevet, the day marking the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem in 588 BCE, which led to the destruction of the First Temple and the Babylonian exile.

“This find is being revealed just before the Tenth of Tevet, which once again reminds us of the warning signs of destruction,” Levy says in a video statement. “We don’t need any more warnings. We need to take all of this and move forward together.”