Southern Steps and Temple Mikvaot
The pilgrim staircase to the Huldah Gates and the ritual baths beside it
Found 1968 — Benjamin Mazar (Hebrew University), with Meir Ben-Dov; later Eilat Mazar
Where Ophel, south of the Temple Mount, Jerusalem (Israel)
Dates from c. 20 BCE–70 CE · Early Roman (Herodian) · Second Temple pilgrimage
Now at In place; Davidson Center Archaeological Park, Jerusalem
How Southern Steps and Temple Mikvaot was found
Mazar's excavation south of the Temple Mount cleared the monumental staircase, the sealed Double and Triple (Huldah) Gates, and dozens of stepped, plastered immersion pools cut in the rock nearby.
What it is
A 64-meter-wide staircase of alternating long and short steps rising to the Huldah Gates, where tunnels led up onto the Temple platform. Around it lie more than 40 mikvaot (ritual baths), among the largest concentration in the country, for pilgrims to purify before entering.
Why it matters for the Bible
This is the main public entrance to the Temple in Yeshua's day, so it is one of the few places where we can say he almost certainly walked. The many baths explain how the crowd at Shavuot in Acts 2 could have been immersed the same day, and illustrate the purity practice behind the Gospel debates.
The Hebrew word: mik-VEH
מִקְוֶה
מִקְוֶה is pronounced mik-VEH and means a gathering of water; ritual immersion pool (Strong's H4723).
People this discovery connects to
- Peter — שִׁמְעוֹן כֵּיפָא (Shim-ON Kei-FA) — Simon 'rock' (Aramaic Kefa; Greek Petros)
Places
- Temple — בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (Beit ha-mik-DASH) — house of the sanctuary
Events
Pilgrim festivals · Shavuot (Pentecost) of Acts 2 · Yeshua teaching in the Temple courts
Southern Steps and Temple Mikvaot in Scripture
1 Kings 6:3 First mention of Temple in Scripture.
Psalms 24:3-4 'Who may ascend the mountain of YHVH?' — a psalm sung by pilgrims climbing steps like these.
Acts 2:41 Three thousand immersed in one day — possible because of the baths beside these steps.
Questions people ask
What is Southern Steps and Temple Mikvaot?
A 64-meter-wide staircase of alternating long and short steps rising to the Huldah Gates, where tunnels led up onto the Temple platform. Around it lie more than 40 mikvaot (ritual baths), among the largest concentration in the country, for pilgrims to purify before entering.
When was Southern Steps and Temple Mikvaot discovered?
It was found in 1968 by Benjamin Mazar (Hebrew University), with Meir Ben-Dov; later Eilat Mazar, at Ophel, south of the Temple Mount, Jerusalem.
Where is Southern Steps and Temple Mikvaot today?
In place; Davidson Center Archaeological Park, Jerusalem.
Which Bible verses does Southern Steps and Temple Mikvaot relate to?
1 Kings 6:3, Psalms 24:3-4, Acts 2:41.
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Sources
- Ben-Dov, In the Shadow of the Temple (1985)
- Wikipedia: Huldah Gates