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Construction project leads to discovery of ancient Jewish ritual bath with mysterious writing
phys.org ^ | August 7, 2015 | by Bob Yirka

Posted on 08/12/2015 1:40:30 PM PDT by Red Badger

Inscriptions on the walls of the ritual bath. Credit: Shai Halevy, the Israel Antiquities Authority

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A team of researchers has descended down into what archaeologists are calling an ancient Jewish ritual bath with mysterious writing on the walls—dating back perhaps 2000 years. The bath was found by antiquity officials checking out a site designated for a new nursery building.

The bath was found when a hole was discovered in a construction site and a rock fell down into it and disappeared. Investigation revealed an underground room, with a stone staircase. What was most surprising was the writing on the walls, which appeared to be written in Aramaic. Alarmingly, the words began to fade as soon as air was let into the bath, causing the researchers to remove the wall and to put it in a climate controlled room where it could be preserved.

The ritual bath consisted of a tub carved into the stone, an anteroom, benches and even a winepress. Initial impressions are that the bath dates from the time of the Second Temple—530BC to 70AD. In addition to the scrawled words there were painted pictures of palm trees, boats, plants and a menorah, which was surprising because it is believed that during the Second Temple, it was considered to be taboo to create pictures of them.

The research team does not yet know what the messages say, but believe the words "served" and "Cohen" are among them—they do not know their purpose either, though they suspect they might be either religious messages, or simply graffiti. In any case, the finding is rare, very few examples of Aramaic inscriptions or texts have been found—some believe it was the language that Jesus spoke. The words in the bath appeared to have been made by smearing with mud or plaster, or in some cases, by carving them into the stone walls. The team notes that together the find represents are rarity because there were so many paintings and inscriptions all at one site. Experts are already at work attempting to decipher the texts and to find an explanation for them being put there in the first place. The Israel Antiquities Authority has also announced that once an examination of the artifacts is completed, everything found will be put on display for the public to come see and admire.


TOPICS: Education; History; Religion; Science
KEYWORDS: epigraphyandlanguage; factsintheground; factsontheground; ggg; godsgravesglyphs; israel; jerusalem; jewish; letshavejerusalem; mikvah; mikveh
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Mystery in the mikvah?................
1 posted on 08/12/2015 1:40:30 PM PDT by Red Badger
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To: SunkenCiv

PinGGG!............


2 posted on 08/12/2015 1:41:07 PM PDT by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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To: Red Badger

Probably translates to “Keep an eye on Murray, he pees in the water”.


3 posted on 08/12/2015 1:42:49 PM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: Red Badger

Wasn’t this just a TV series?


4 posted on 08/12/2015 1:45:12 PM PDT by Fhios (Immigration without assimilation is an invasion. -- Bobby Jindal)
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To: Mastador1

Nope, it says “We don’t pee in your outhouse, so don’t ...” rest is unclear.

That, or “no lifeguard on duty.”

(In real life, I have no idea. Ancient Hebrew is hard enough; no clue about Aramaic.)


5 posted on 08/12/2015 1:47:55 PM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem)
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To: Fhios
I'm sure it will be.................
6 posted on 08/12/2015 1:48:16 PM PDT by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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To: Jewbacca

Not that much different. They share a lot of the same words and letters. I would guess it’s like American English vs. UK English.................


7 posted on 08/12/2015 1:49:39 PM PDT by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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To: Jewbacca

I was looking at the figure just above the man’s hand. It appeared to be a tree with a towel draped across the lower limb. Then it struck me, it’s the attendant, and the message to the left says, You better tip me!.............


8 posted on 08/12/2015 1:52:16 PM PDT by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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To: Red Badger

No, there is a lot of Arabic in it (or rather the other way around). It’s more like Middle German to Modern English.

I took it in high school, but just barely passed.


9 posted on 08/12/2015 1:55:30 PM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem)
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To: Red Badger

Were Jews smaller back then? Who’d a thunk?


10 posted on 08/12/2015 1:58:17 PM PDT by Safetgiver ( Islam makes barbarism look genteel.)
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To: Red Badger
Welcome to our _ool. Notice there's no "p" in it. Let's keep it that way...
11 posted on 08/12/2015 1:58:37 PM PDT by IYAS9YAS (Password1234)
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To: Red Badger

Found it!

Dig

Peter, an FBI agent stationed in Jerusalem who, while investigating a murder of a young female archaeologist, uncovers a conspiracy 2000 years in the making.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3597606/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1


12 posted on 08/12/2015 1:59:42 PM PDT by Fhios (Immigration without assimilation is an invasion. -- Bobby Jindal)
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To: Jewbacca

IIRC, it was the language that was used in biblical times as a sort of ‘lingua franca’ for talking between different peoples whose native language was different. There is on scene in the Old Testament where the Assyrian army commander is yelling to the people of Jerusalem from outside the walls and the king’s (Hezekiah?) representatives said, “Speak to us in Aramaic, we can understand that.” It wasn’t to get the message across, but to hide the general’s words from the populace, because he was yelling some scary stuff..............


13 posted on 08/12/2015 2:00:00 PM PDT by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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To: Safetgiver

Everybody was smaller back then, even Romans..................


14 posted on 08/12/2015 2:01:07 PM PDT by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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To: Red Badger

Here I sit, broken hearted.....


15 posted on 08/12/2015 2:07:09 PM PDT by Defiant (I will vote for the candidate that the GOPe and media hate the most.)
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To: Red Badger

“He who is valorous and pure of heart may find the Holy Grail in the aaaaarrrrrrggghhh...”


16 posted on 08/12/2015 2:08:08 PM PDT by freedomlover
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To: Red Badger

Scientist have been able to desipher part of the message:

Do...not....vote...for....hi...


17 posted on 08/12/2015 2:12:16 PM PDT by Leep (Vote Bush! Why? Because we say so!)
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To: Red Badger

decipher that is. spelling without a safety net.


18 posted on 08/12/2015 2:14:37 PM PDT by Leep (Vote Bush! Why? Because we say so!)
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To: Red Badger

“Kohler, made in Judea”


19 posted on 08/12/2015 2:42:58 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
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To: Army Air Corps

Are you sure it’s not ‘Price-Pfister’?..................


20 posted on 08/12/2015 2:50:47 PM PDT by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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