Mikveh Tahara in Khirbet Hillel
A Jewish settlement from the end of the Second Temple period was uncovered at the archeological site. The most significant Jewish relic at the site is the impressive mikveh of purity that was unearthed in the excavations. Inside the mikveh of purity, on the steps, you can see the remains of a partition that separated those entering and leaving. The partition is intended for rush hours in the mikveh, in order to prevent the contact of an unclean person with a pure person who has already been immersed in the mikveh.
During the excavations, a layer of destruction and fire was exposed, which testified that the ancient settlement was destroyed during the Bar Kochba revolt. The large winepress we see is evidence of a settlement that was there in the Byzantine period.
The site was excavated in 1990 in a rescue excavation by the Israel Antiquities Authority with the assistance of the Kfar Etzion Field School, prior to the construction of the access road to Bat Ayin.
