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26 Oct, 2021 09:03 PM3 minutes to read<\/p>\n
A rare ancient toilet in Jerusalem dating back more than 2,700 years, when private bathrooms were a luxury in the holy city. Photo \/ Yoli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority via AP<\/p>\n
Archaeological excavations in Jerusalem have revealed a 2,700-year-old toilet in an ancient, royal mansion.<\/p>\n
The private toilet cubicle dated back to the end of the 7th century BCE and was unearthed in a building that overlooks the City of David archaeological site and the Temple Mount according to a press release from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).<\/p>\n
The bathroom itself was a rectangular shape, carved from stone and around one by two meters wide. Meanwhile, the loo itself, made from limestone, sat over a deep septic tank and was designed for the best sitting experience possible.<\/p>\n
Considered a bare essential in any home today, IAA's excavation director Yaakov Billig said back in the day, only the wealthiest could afford to splash out with a private toilet cubicle.<\/p>\n
\"A private toilet cubicle was very rare in antiquity, and to date, only a few have been found, mostly in the City of David,\" said Billig in a statement.<\/p>\n
\"Only the rich could afford toilets. In fact, a thousand years later, the Mishnah and the Talmud discuss the various criteria that define a rich person, and Rabbi Yossi [suggests that] to be rich is [to have] a toilet near his table.'\"<\/p>\n
IAA director Eli Eskisiod said it was fascinating to consider how something so common today would be considered a luxury to people during the reign of the kings of Judah.<\/p>\n
Leaving no stone unturned, the team also dug into the septic tank and found several animal bones and pottery.<\/p>\n
The study of such objects and materials could help shed light on the diet, lifestyle and diseases of people living during this period.<\/p>\n
Further afield from the toilet, archaeologists also found evidence of a garden that had ornamental trees, fruit trees ad aquatic plants. These findings supposedly add to the impression that a well-off family had resided at the estate.<\/p>\n
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According to Billig, the estate may have been a residence of a king of Judah,<\/p>\n
In March, dozens of pieces of a Dead Sea Scroll containing biblical text were discovered in the Judean Desert by archaeologists.<\/p>\n
It had been around 60 years since the last fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls had been found, in a cave where Jewish rebels had hidden from the Roman Empire around 1,900 years earlier.<\/p>\n
The team from IAA plan to present their findings at the conference taking place in Jerusalem this week called \"Innovations in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Surroundings.\"<\/p>\n
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2,700-year-old private toilet discovered in Jerusalem - New Zealand Herald<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Travel 26 Oct, 2021 09:03 PM3 minutes to read A rare ancient toilet in Jerusalem dating back more than 2,700 years, when private bathrooms were a luxury in the holy city. Photo \/ Yoli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority via AP Archaeological excavations in Jerusalem have revealed a 2,700-year-old toilet in an ancient, royal mansion. The private toilet cubicle dated back to the end of the 7th century BCE and was unearthed in a building that overlooks the City of David archaeological site and the Temple Mount according to a press release from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). Continue reading