The Cave of John the Baptist

Recently, experts have uncovered what is believed to have been a cave used by John the Baptist to perform baptisms of many of his followers. The cave was found close to the town of Ein Kerem, now part of modern day Jerusalem, which scholars believe was the hometown of John the Baptist. The cave was found just 2.5 miles from Ein Kerem, on the property of Kibbutz Tzuba, a communal farm.

The cave was hidden in a limestone hill that measured 24 yards long, 4 yards deep and 4 yards wide. Over the years, the cave had become filled with mud and sediment, leaving only a small opening that was obscured by the growth of trees and bushes.

In 1999, British archaeologist Shimon Gibson initiated a full excavation of the cave, upon the request of his friend Reuven Kalifon, an immigrant from Cleveland who teaches Hebrew at the kibbutz and who had brought his students to the cave on different occasions for study. Working with a team that included volunteers from the Univeristy of North Carolina, Gibson cleared out layers of soils and uncovered the intricacies and artifacts found within the cave.

The cave was discovered to have 28 steps leading to the cave bottom; on the right hand side of the cave, a niche was found in the wall that is generally found in Jewish ritual baths and that is used to place clothes prior to immersion. Near the end of the stairs, an oval stone with a foot-shaped indentation was located; above this, a soap-like niche that is believed to have held ritual oil that flowed through a small channel and over the believer’s foot.

Also uncovered during the five years of excavation led by Gibson were some 250,000 shards from small jugs that were apparently used during purification rituals.

The cave is believed to have been carved by the Israelites during the Iron Age, sometime between 800 BCE and 500 BCE. It is believed to have been used from the start as a ritual immersion pool, which preceded the Jewish tradition of the ritual bath.

Byzantine carvings have also been found on the wall of the cave. One of these carvings is believed to a representation of John the Baptist himself; this carving features a man with unruly hair that is wearing a tunic with dots, a feature that is believed to be emblematic of an animal hide. The man is also depicted as holding a staff in one hand while holding out his other hand in a gesture of devotion. The second image is of a face, which is believed to be symbolic of the beheading of John the Baptist.

Gibson’s findings have led him to believe that the cave is indeed that used by John the Baptist, a view shared by Biblical scholar James Tabor.