Israeli family discovers ancient treasure under living room

[webfact]

Israeli family discovers ancient treasure under living room
MIRIAM BERGER, Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli authorities said Wednesday they have identified a rare, well-preserved 2,000-year-old Jewish ritual bath hidden under the floorboards of a home in Jerusalem.

Archaeologists said the discovery in Jerusalem's Ein Kerem neighborhood shines new light on ancient Jewish and early Christian communities in the area. But the discovery might be most noteworthy because the couple that owns the home literally kept the treasure hidden under a rug for three years before choosing to come clean.

In an interview, the wife said the family found evidence of the mikveh, or Jewish ritual bath, while renovating their home three years ago. Construction workers were using heavy machinery that sunk through a hole, leading the crew to discover the bath.

She said that she and her husband were unsure of the significance and continued with the planned construction. But they also preserved the discovery, adding a pair of wooden doors in the floor to allow access to the bath and concealing the entrance with a rug.

The couple's curiosity, however, persisted. Earlier this week, they contacted the Israeli Antiquities Authority and reported their finding. The family asked that their names be withheld to protect their privacy.

Amit Reem, an archaeologist with the authority, estimated the ritual bath dates back to the first century B.C., around the time of the Second Jewish Temple. The bath remains largely intact, and includes a staircase leading to what was once a pool. Archeologists also found pottery and unique stone vessels dating to the same period.

According to Christian tradition, John the Baptist is said to have been born in the Jewish community around Ein Kerem around the first century. Reem said the discovery adds to the physical evidence of the Jewish community in the area, which he said has been "sporadic."

Reem said it is not uncommon for households around Jerusalem to unearth Jewish antiquities under their floorboards, though he did not know how many cases there were. The family does not have to move and will keep the ritual bath preserved with the help of the Antiquities Authority.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-07-02

[Lissos]

Layer upon layer upon layer, in Jerusalem.

[NeverSure]

FWIW, this area isn't in dispute. I'm not taking sides here but rather trying to be geographically accurate.

This isn't part of the West Bank to include E. Jerusalem, the Old City, the Temple Mount, The Mount of Olives and so on which does regularly come into dispute.

Cheers.

[Jingthing]

Jews -- INDIGENOUS people of Israel. ... from ancient times, now, and forever.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Jingthing

[Thorgal]

Looks like a cellar with bath for practicing baptist rituals during Christian times...wich is normal in a typical Christian region of Jerusalem.

A typical baptist ritual bath from Nazareth :

http://www.nazareth-en.custodia.org/default.asp?id=5873

And euh, 'Ain' means 'Eye' in Arabic.
And 'Kerem' means 'Luck' in Arabic...

Genuine Jewish artefacts were till now only found from the period of the first Temple mount of Jerusalem. Nothing has been found before this historical era.

The amphora posted previously was not found in Ain Kerem and is off topic !

http://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalem-family-finds-2000-year-old-ritual-bath-under-living-room/

Edited July 3, 2015 by Thorgal

[Thorgal]

Jews -- INDIGENOUS people of Israel. ... from ancient times, now, and forever.

45_P8060467.jpg

Can you provide a link of the picture of this amphora ? Doesn't really look from the region of OP.

If not from Ain Kerem, why posting it ?

Edited July 3, 2015 by Thorgal

[Jingthing]

Jews -- INDIGENOUS people of Israel. ... from ancient times, now, and forever.

45_P8060467.jpg

Can you provide a link of the picture of this amphora ?

If not from Ain Kerem, why posting it ?

Not interested in being baited by you.

Just showing some Jews in Israel relating in general to the OP which is about ancient Jews in Israel.

Israel demonizers are always pushing the false narrative that Jews don't belong in the land of Israel, that they are "white" colonialists, etc.

[MaxYakov]

Article: "But the discovery might be most noteworthy because the couple that owns the home literally kept the treasure hidden under a rug for three years before choosing to come clean."

Yes, come clean about the mikveh. I get it.

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been removed.

[Thorgal]

Adherents of Judaism did not found Jerusalem. It existed for perhaps 2700 years before anything we might recognize as Judaism arose.

Jewish rule may have been no longer than 170 years or so, i.e., the kingdom of the Hasmoneans.

I'm always surprised to see in a historical context only artefacts being exposed from that relatively short historical period of Jerusalem as major artefacts to claim false justifications to indigenous populations.

Furthermore I don't see any rational historical link between artefacts from OP and indigenous populations of the region.

Of course, Jews are historically connected to Jerusalem by the Temple, whenever that connection is dated to. But that link mostly was pursued when Jews were not in political control of the city, under Iranian, Greek and Roman rule.

It cannot therefore be deployed to make a demand for political control of the whole city.

A. The Muslims, who ruled it and built it over 1191 years.

B. The Egyptians, who ruled it as a vassal state for several hundred years in the second millennium BCE.

C. The Italians (Roman Empire) who ruled it about 444 years until the fall of the Roman Empire in 450 CE.

D. The Iranians, who ruled it for 205 years under the Achaemenids, for three years under the Parthians (insofar as the last Hasmonean was actually their vassal), and for 15 years under the Sasanids.

E. The Greeks, who ruled it for over 160 years if we count the Ptolemys and Seleucids as Greek. If we count them as Egyptians and Syrians, that would increase the Egyptian claim and introduce a Syrian one.

F. The successor states to the Byzantines, which could be either Greece or Turkey, who ruled it 188 years, though if we consider the heir to be Greece and add in the time the Hellenistic Greek dynasties ruled it, that would give Greece nearly 350 years as ruler of Jerusalem.

G. There is an Iraqi claim to Jerusalem based on the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests, as well as perhaps the rule of the Ayyubids (Saladin’s dynasty), who were Kurds from Iraq.

http://www.juancole.com/2010/03/top-ten-reasons-east-jerusalem-does-not.html

Edited July 4, 2015 by Thorgal

[daveAustin]

Jews -- INDIGENOUS people of Israel. ... from ancient times, now, and forever.

Dear me, aside from a potential like from UG, what's the agenda?

[Jingthing]

Jews -- INDIGENOUS people of Israel. ... from ancient times, now, and forever.

Dear me, aside from a potential like from UG, what's the agenda?

To emphasize that Jews in Israel aren't colonialist but rather living in the land most connected to Jews on the planet.

[dexterm]

Jews -- INDIGENOUS people of Israel. ... from ancient times, now, and forever.

Dear me, aside from a potential like from UG, what's the agenda?

To emphasize that Jews in Israel aren't colonialist but rather living in the land most connected to Jews on the planet.

Many different peoples have lived in Palestine before and after the Jews.

No dispute at all that believers in Judaism lived in Palestine 2,000 years ago. But Jews are clearly not a race after so much intermarriage and conversions..Ethiopian Falashas and blonde haired blue eyed European Azkhenazi Jews would appear to have very little in common ethnically apart from their religion. And you can't claim the right to a country on the strength a supernatural promise made in a book of popular fiction. Zionist apologists find it very convenient to confuse race with religion.

Chances are just as possible that the people of Jewish faith who built the ritual bath may actually be distant ancestors of converted Palestinian Arabs.

[ggold]

Jews -- INDIGENOUS people of Israel. ... from ancient times, now, and forever.

Dear me, aside from a potential like from UG, what's the agenda?

To emphasize that Jews in Israel aren't colonialist but rather living in the land most connected to Jews on the planet.

Many different peoples have lived in Palestine before and after the Jews.

No dispute at all that believers in Judaism lived in Palestine 2,000 years ago. But Jews are clearly not a race after so much intermarriage and conversions..Ethiopian Falashas and blonde haired blue eyed European Azkhenazi Jews would appear to have very little in common ethnically apart from their religion. And you can't claim the right to a country on the strength a supernatural promise made in a book of popular fiction. Zionist apologists find it very convenient to confuse race with religion.

Chances are just as possible that the people of Jewish faith who built the ritual bath may actually be distant ancestors of converted Palestinian Arabs.

Show me an enthic group that is pure in blood, the fact is Jews can prove their connection the the land as scots can prove their connection to Scotland! the fact that other groups invaded and controled the land doesn't detract from the fact there is a proven connection more so in Israel than any other part of the globe for Jewish people. Regardless of any fiction you might wish it to be!

Put another way Israel is here to stay. The arabs have tried for 67 years to destroy Israel and failed. Oh and there were no Palestinian Arabs 2000 years ago. But that is convenient for the Arab loving Israel haters to forget.

[Lissos]

Folks seem to be focused on race here when ideology is the main factor.

Islam is a conquering latecomer in the history there. Zionism is too.

All the 'ancients' who once reigned there, are dead.

So too are probably most of the Arabs alive before the start of the British Mandate.

Right now, all those fighting for control of the land are newcomers.

Using race as a way to claim ownership of land is asking to be embarrassed sooner or later.

[willyumiii]

If someone nukes "the rock"..

Will they all go home and be quiet?

I am so tired of all the squabbling and blood letting over this place!

All religion is fantasy!

Get over it!

Edited July 4, 2015 by willyumiii

[dexterm]

Thread full sorry,

ggold wrote

Show me an enthic group that is pure in blood, the fact is Jews can prove their connection the the land

..totally agree. People of Jewish faith have a connection to some of their holiest sites in Palestine/Israel.

Put another way Israel is here to stay.

...totally agree again. I simply want Israel to find a way to join the family of civilized European nations, and live in peace with their neighbors.Yes with all the years of bitterness and finger pointing it's a tough call, but not impossible.

What I object to in the ideology of Zionism is the erroneous principle that anyone who calls himself a Jew, whether they have religious beliefs or not and though born 6,000 miles away and have never set eyes on the Holy Land before, take precedence in citizenship over displaced Palestinians who were born there and have lived there for centuries. In my eyes that is racist/religionist and wrong.

JT's frequent repetition that Jews are indigenous is incorrect, which debate I suspect the OP discovery was intended to have us discuss. But the religion Judaism definitely has an historical, religious connection ...agreed. So do Muslims and Christians, but it's silly to get into a competition...my God was here before your God, even though I may not believe in him ...or her... and this bathtub proves it. That's bordering on the Pythonesque.

Hot in Thailand today...I'm off for a dip!

Edited July 4, 2015 by dexterm

[ggold]

Thread full sorry,

ggold wrote

Show me an enthic group that is pure in blood, the fact is Jews can prove their connection the the land

..totally agree. People of Jewish faith have a connection to some of their holiest sites in Palestine/Israel.

Put another way Israel is here to stay.

...totally agree again. I simply want Israel to find a way to join the family of civilized European nations, and live in peace with their neighbors.Yes with all the years of bitterness and finger pointing it's a tough call, but not impossible.

What I object to in the ideology of Zionism is the erroneous principle that anyone who calls himself a Jew, whether they have religious beliefs or not and though born 6,000 miles away and have never set eyes on the Holy Land before, take precedence in citizenship over displaced Palestinians who were born there and have lived there for centuries. In my eyes that is racist/religionist and wrong.

JT's frequent repetition that Jews are indigenous is incorrect, which debate I suspect the OP discovery was intended to have us discuss. But the religion Judaism definitely has an historical, religious connection ...agreed. So do Muslims and Christians, but it's silly to get into a competition...my God was here before your God, even though I may not believe in him ...or her... and this bathtub proves it. That's bordering on the Pythonesque.

Hot in Thailand today...I'm off for a dip!

The OP is about the discovery of a ritual bath, not a debate about who was there first!

I think you need to get over your Zionist hatered! What is the diference of Jew who lives 6000 miles away or an Arab in a refugee camp in Syria got to do with it? None is the answer.

There were 500,000 Arabs who ran when their masters told them to run from the Jews. How many of them were born in Israel, rather than being economic migrants? For as much as you Question Jews right to return. I question the real number of arabs that were born in Israel and their claim to the land.

As the Jews have been on the receiving end of peoples racism and religious persecution over the centuries, Is it not fair and right that the Jews have a place they can call their own? free from racism and persecution? Is it not the Arabs own failure that they refused accept this.

These suposed fakestinians were and are a tool of the Arab League to maintain the Arab demand for the land. Now the Arabs are worried about ISIS and the fakestinians don't matter anymore.

[JingerBen]

Thread full sorry,

ggold wrote

Show me an enthic group that is pure in blood, the fact is Jews can prove their connection the the land

..totally agree. People of Jewish faith have a connection to some of their holiest sites in Palestine/Israel.

Put another way Israel is here to stay.

...totally agree again. I simply want Israel to find a way to join the family of civilized European nations, and live in peace with their neighbors.Yes with all the years of bitterness and finger pointing it's a tough call, but not impossible.

What I object to in the ideology of Zionism is the erroneous principle that anyone who calls himself a Jew, whether they have religious beliefs or not and though born 6,000 miles away and have never set eyes on the Holy Land before, take precedence in citizenship over displaced Palestinians who were born there and have lived there for centuries. In my eyes that is racist/religionist and wrong.

JT's frequent repetition that Jews are indigenous is incorrect, which debate I suspect the OP discovery was intended to have us discuss. But the religion Judaism definitely has an historical, religious connection ...agreed. So do Muslims and Christians, but it's silly to get into a competition...my God was here before your God, even though I may not believe in him ...or her... and this bathtub proves it. That's bordering on the Pythonesque.

Hot in Thailand today...I'm off for a dip!

The OP is about the discovery of a ritual bath, not a debate about who was there first!

I think you need to get over your Zionist hatered! What is the diference of Jew who lives 6000 miles away or an Arab in a refugee camp in Syria got to do with it? None is the answer.

There were 500,000 Arabs who ran when their masters told them to run from the Jews. How many of them were born in Israel, rather than being economic migrants? For as much as you Question Jews right to return. I question the real number of arabs that were born in Israel and their claim to the land.

As the Jews have been on the receiving end of peoples racism and religious persecution over the centuries, Is it not fair and right that the Jews have a place they can call their own? free from racism and persecution? Is it not the Arabs own failure that they refused accept this.

These suposed fakestinians were and are a tool of the Arab League to maintain the Arab demand for the land. Now the Arabs are worried about ISIS and the fakestinians don't matter anymore.

Your post is an embarrassment.

You've let the side down.

[ableguy]

Adherents of Judaism did not found Jerusalem. It existed for perhaps 2700 years before anything we might recognize as Judaism arose.

Jewish rule may have been no longer than 170 years or so, i.e., the kingdom of the Hasmoneans.

I'm always surprised to see in a historical context only artefacts being exposed from that relatively short historical period of Jerusalem as major artefacts to claim false justifications to indigenous populations.

Furthermore I don't see any rational historical link between artefacts from OP and indigenous populations of the region.

Of course, Jews are historically connected to Jerusalem by the Temple, whenever that connection is dated to. But that link mostly was pursued when Jews were not in political control of the city, under Iranian, Greek and Roman rule.

It cannot therefore be deployed to make a demand for political control of the whole city.

A. The Muslims, who ruled it and built it over 1191 years.

B. The Egyptians, who ruled it as a vassal state for several hundred years in the second millennium BCE.

C. The Italians (Roman Empire) who ruled it about 444 years until the fall of the Roman Empire in 450 CE.

D. The Iranians, who ruled it for 205 years under the Achaemenids, for three years under the Parthians (insofar as the last Hasmonean was actually their vassal), and for 15 years under the Sasanids.

E. The Greeks, who ruled it for over 160 years if we count the Ptolemys and Seleucids as Greek. If we count them as Egyptians and Syrians, that would increase the Egyptian claim and introduce a Syrian one.

F. The successor states to the Byzantines, which could be either Greece or Turkey, who ruled it 188 years, though if we consider the heir to be Greece and add in the time the Hellenistic Greek dynasties ruled it, that would give Greece nearly 350 years as ruler of Jerusalem.

G. There is an Iraqi claim to Jerusalem based on the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests, as well as perhaps the rule of the Ayyubids (Saladins dynasty), who were Kurds from Iraq.

http://www.juancole.com/2010/03/top-ten-reasons-east-jerusalem-does-not.html

Wow impressive stuff, when was the first McDonald's opened.

[Thorgal]

Adherents of Judaism did not found Jerusalem. It existed for perhaps 2700 years before anything we might recognize as Judaism arose.

Jewish rule may have been no longer than 170 years or so, i.e., the kingdom of the Hasmoneans.

I'm always surprised to see in a historical context only artefacts being exposed from that relatively short historical period of Jerusalem as major artefacts to claim false justifications to indigenous populations.

Furthermore I don't see any rational historical link between artefacts from OP and indigenous populations of the region.

Of course, Jews are historically connected to Jerusalem by the Temple, whenever that connection is dated to. But that link mostly was pursued when Jews were not in political control of the city, under Iranian, Greek and Roman rule.

It cannot therefore be deployed to make a demand for political control of the whole city.

A. The Muslims, who ruled it and built it over 1191 years.

B. The Egyptians, who ruled it as a vassal state for several hundred years in the second millennium BCE.

C. The Italians (Roman Empire) who ruled it about 444 years until the fall of the Roman Empire in 450 CE.

D. The Iranians, who ruled it for 205 years under the Achaemenids, for three years under the Parthians (insofar as the last Hasmonean was actually their vassal), and for 15 years under the Sasanids.

E. The Greeks, who ruled it for over 160 years if we count the Ptolemys and Seleucids as Greek. If we count them as Egyptians and Syrians, that would increase the Egyptian claim and introduce a Syrian one.

F. The successor states to the Byzantines, which could be either Greece or Turkey, who ruled it 188 years, though if we consider the heir to be Greece and add in the time the Hellenistic Greek dynasties ruled it, that would give Greece nearly 350 years as ruler of Jerusalem.

G. There is an Iraqi claim to Jerusalem based on the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests, as well as perhaps the rule of the Ayyubids (Saladins dynasty), who were Kurds from Iraq.

http://www.juancole.com/2010/03/top-ten-reasons-east-jerusalem-does-not.html

Wow impressive stuff, when was the first McDonald's opened.

October 1993 was the first opening, but Mc Donnalds for sure is off topic, and ritual baths in early Jewish religion were also used before ritual human sacrifices...

In Christianity mainly for only secret baptism...

Quote from link :

http://www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly/w_Naso_5766.php

Edited July 5, 2015 by Thorgal