Archaeologists Uncover Biblical-Era Priestly Mansion During Time of Jesus

Archaeologists have made a remarkable find on Jerusalem's Mount Zion. They've uncovered the well-preserved lower levels of an Early Roman period mansion, which possibly belonged to a member of the Jewish ruling priestly caste during the time of Jesus.

In excavation sites in urban areas, such as the one in Jerusalem, findings are complex. Various occupying civilizations layer over one another during the site's continuous use over millennia. When an area has been abandoned for intermittent periods, though, richer finds can be uncovered since some layers have been buried and undisturbed by development.

The new find includes a vaulted chamber that appears to be a finished bathroom, complete with bathtub. This is a particularly important discovery since similar bathrooms have only been found within palace complexes associated with the rulers of the country.

"A bathroom that is almost a copy of ours was found in an excavation of a palatial mansion," said Shimon Gibson, one of the archaeologists, in a news release. "It is only a stone's throw away and I wouldn't hesitate to say that the people who made that bathroom probably were the same ones who made this one. It's almost identical, not only in the way it's made, but also in the finishing touches, like the edge of the bath itself."

It's obvious that this residence belonged to a wealthy family. But if it turns out to be a priestly residence, even more information could be gleaned from the site. It would immediately connect the archaeologists not just to the elite of Jerusalem, but also to Jesus himself.

"These are the families who had Jesus arrested and crucified, so for us to know more about them and their domestic life--and the level of wealth that they enjoyed--would really fill in for us some key history," said James Tabor, dig co-director, in a news release.

Currently, though, the archaeologists are still evaluating the artifacts discovered at this dig. One of the findings that stand out, though, is a large number of murex shells. These shells were highly valued in Roman times because of a rich purple dye that could be extracted from the living creature. Yet researchers are still unsure why such a large quantity of shells would be kept, since the shells themselves were not involved in the dying process. That said, it could be that the shells were used to identify different grades of dye. In addition, this particular dye has been associated with the priestly class.

"It is significant that these are household activities which may have been undertaken by the priests," said Gibson. "If so, it tells us a lot more about the priests than we knew before."

The findings are important for better understanding the class that Jesus so strongly criticized. In addition, it provides a glimpse into the ancient past of this city and shows exactly how these people might have once lived.