Jewish Ritual Bath Found in Baltimore May Be Oldest in U.S.

Archaeologists peeling back layers of history beneath the historic Lloyd Street Synagogue in East Baltimore have uncovered what is believed to be the oldest Jewish ritual bath complex in the United States, according to The Baltimore Sun.

 The synagogue, constructed in 1845, is on the National Register of Historic Places as the first synagogue in Maryland, according to the National Park Service. It was built by the . The congregation and Day School are now located on Park Heights Avenue, falling in both Pikesville and Baltimore City.

"Hints of the presence of the 1845 bath, or 'mikveh,' were first detected during excavations in 2001," the Sun article states. "But further digging this winter has revealed about a quarter of a five-foot-deep wooden tub, and linked it to a related cistern found in 2008, and to remains of a brick hearth once used to warm the bath's water."

"The idea of a ritual bath complex helps fill out the history of Jewish religious practice in this country," said Avi Decter, executive director of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, of which the old Lloyd Street Synagogue is now a part. "This is a very ancient practice, going back thousands of years."

To read The Sun's full story, visit Jewish ritual bath found in Baltimore may be oldest in U.S.