The ruins of an ancient Jewish ritual bath have been found near Rome – the oldest such discovery outside of the biblical region of Israel and the surrounding area.

Archaeologists excavating Ostia Antica, the ancient port city of Rome, have unearthed what is now considered the oldest Jewish ritual bath (mikvah) outside the Middle East. Dating back over 1,500 years,

As they worked, the team uncovered a smaller rectangular room with a wide set of steps leading down to a well. Archaeologists identified it as an ancient Jewish ritual bath, known as a mikveh, dating back at least 1,400 years.

Rome and Ostia to this day are dotted with remnants of Jewish heritage: a menorah on the bas-relief of the first-century Arch of Titus; Jewish catacombs; sundry Roman-era inscriptions, and a synagogue at Ostia Antica.

In the Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica, a mikveh, a Jewish ritual bath, has been identified during excavations carried out in June and August 2024. The discovery of this mikveh is of singular importance,

A unique ancient Jewish bathhouse or mikveh has been found at Rome's ancient port of Ostia Antica. Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli presented the find in the site on the coast near Rome on Monday along with Rome Chief Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni.