Excavations at Tel Ḥevron, 2017: Ritual Baths and Early Islamic Remains

The article describes and discusses the results of the archaeological excavations at Tel Ḥevron Plot 53 during 2017. These were follow-up excavations to the larger ones conducted during 2014, and were mainly aimed towards the completion of the exposure and restoration of two large ritual baths (miqwa’ot), dated to the early Roman period. In the course of the excavation of the western miqweh, a layer of early Islamic pottery was also detected, suggesting another late use of this area, during an additional period not recorded so far at this part of the site. The final plan of the miqwa’ot, their significance, as well as the finds recovered from this excavation will be discussed. These also include a group of reconstructed pottery vessels found in the inner space of the western miqweh, representing the latest re-use of the space during the early Islamic period.