Posted on 11/22/2010 5:05:49 AM PST by SJackson
1,800-year-old Roman bathing pool uncovered in Jewish Quarter sheds light on Aelia Capitolina, city founded on Second Temple ruins.
A 1,800-year-old Roman bathing pool was recently uncovered in archaeological excavations in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem ahead of the construction of a ritual bath for men (miqve).
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), who conducted the excavations at the initiative of the Jerusalem Municipality and the Moriah Company for the Development of Jerusalem, say that the bathing pool was probably part of a bathhouse used by the Tenth Legion – the very same Roman soldiers who destroyed the Second Temple
The discovery sheds light on the scope of Aelia Capitolina, the city that was founded on the Second Temple period ruins of Jerusalem, that defined the character of ancient Jerusalem as we know it today.
“We were surprised to discover an ancient bathhouse structure right below the spot where a miqve is to be built,” said Dr. Ofer Sion, excavation director on behalf of the IAA.
“The bathhouse tiles, which are stamped with the symbols of the Tenth Legion “Fretensis” – LEG X FR, were found in situ and it seems that they were used to cover a rock-hewn water channel located at the bottom of the pool. The hundreds of terra cotta roof tiles that were found on the floors of the pool indicate it was a covered structure,” he noted.
“It seems that the bathhouse was used by [soldiers of the Tenth Legion] who were garrisoned there after suppressing the Bar Kokhba uprising in 135 CE, when the pagan city Aelia Capitolina was established,” Sion continued.
“We know that the Tenth Legion’s camp was situated within the limits of what is today the Old City, probably in the region of the Armenian Quarter. This assumption is reinforced by the discovery of the bathhouse in the nearby Jewish Quarter which shows that the multitude of soldiers was spread out and that they were also active outside the camp, in other parts of the Old City.”
An unusual imprint on one of the roof tiles caught the attention of the archaeologists.
“Another interesting discovery that caused excitement during the excavation is the paw print of a dog that probably belonged to one of the soldiers,” Sion said. “The paw print was impressed on the symbol of the legion on one of the roof tiles and it could have happened accidentally or have been intended as a joke.”
Dr. Yuval Baruch, the Jerusalem District archaeologist for the IAA, noted the importance of the discovery, which sheds light on the study of post-destruction Jerusalem.
“Despite the very extensive archaeological excavations that were carried out in the Jewish Quarter, so far not even one building has been discovered there that belonged to the Roman legion,” he said.
“The absence of such a find led to the conclusion that Aelia Capitolina, the Roman city which was established after the destruction of Jerusalem, was small and limited in area.”
“The new find, together with other discoveries of recent years, shows that the city was considerably larger than what we previously estimated. Information about Aelia Capitolina is extremely valuable and can contribute greatly to research on Jerusalem because it was that city that determined the character and general appearance of ancient Jerusalem and as we know it today. The shape of the city has determined the outline of its walls and the location of the gates to this very day,” Baruch added.
The IAA will integrate the remains of the ancient Roman bathhouse into the planned Jewish Quarter miqve.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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Jewish Quarter? In Jerusalem? I thought East Jerusalem was palestinian land. They were building settlements way back then! The President will be upset.
I wonder what the Archeologists will think a thousand years from now when they discover San Francisco bath houses, and statues of Nancy Pelosi and Obama on the pedestals.
LMAO.
I like the “ah-hah!” aspect of modern Jews building a miqvha on top of a bath house of the tenth legion.
Sort of a 2,000 yr later one upmanship.
Have they ever found a bathhouse in France?? :-)
There was a period in Medieval France where people got confused between the use of water for cleaning and the use of water for toilets ~ this readily disuaded anyone from bathing ~ check this castle OVER THE LOIRE ~ that "bridgework" is full of toilets ~ and that river flows past a major collection of castles owned by French nobles and royalty.
http://www.a-castle-for-rent.com/castles/images/Chenonceau6.jpg
Tenth Legion “Fretensis” – LEG X FR?..............They were FReepers?....................
Have they ever found soap in France?.............
This destroys the arab claim that historically its their land, and that Europe ought to butt out.
Europeans have been there for millennia.
With your reasoning the Italians can intervene in Britain.
It's at the base of a cliff, right on the ocean, westward from the Golden Gate. Built in the late 1800's it's called the Sutro Baths.
It was fed partly from the ocean currents funneled through a nearby natural cave, which you can walk through. I was surprised to learn that it had existed, abandoned, until 1966, which was only a few years before I first saw it.
It is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
It's in a valley on the east side of town (which BTW is all hills and velleys), which has natural hot spring water from the surrounding limesone hills.
Since the late 1800s, it has been home to a modern bathhouse called the "Friedrichsbad," visited by Royalty and celebrities such as Mark Twain. Recently, a modern all-glass-and-glitter spa was built nearby (the "Caracalla-bad").
The plaza between them covers underground parking and the ruins of the Roman bath, which is of course a museum.
Linguistic note: In German, the word "Bad" (bath or 'spa') is pronounced about midway between "bahd" and "baht."
(So, what is this thing I have about bathhouses? Well don't ask and don't tell! ≤}B^)
65 years ago, the British 'intervened' in Italy. ;~))
“With your reasoning the Italians can intervene in Britain.”
“Insert punchline here”
For some reason, your post struck me as funny but I haven’t wrapped my head around it yet.
I think the point is that if the Arabs want to play the game of who had Israel before whom, the Europeans get to play too.
It’s a sandbox full of religious psychopaths. Who in their right mind would want anything to do with it? The Romans had enough and leveled the place.
Graffiti found on the wall:
Rhamulous Semper Amare Barakitus
So even the Romans were thirsting the Palestinians with their wasteful bath houses. This proves that Palestinians were living here even then, fighting the Zionist threat. Even the 10th Legion couldn’t stop them or suppress them from their Islamic Jihaad against Bar Kochba, the Zionist occupier. The Jooos have tried to rewrite history, but archaeology is on our side.
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