Cave of John the Baptist
The first archaelogical evidence of John the Baptist to emerge in modern times
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The cave is believed to be the place where John the Baptist sought his first solitude in the ‘wilderness’ (Luke 1:80) and where he first practiced his baptism procedures.
The cave is situated within the orchards of Kibbutz Tzuba, which is near the village of Ein Karem – the traditional birthplace of John the Baptist - west of Jerusalem (Luke 1:39-40). Dr Shimon Gibson discovered it by chance in 1999 during archaeological explorations.
During the 4th and 5th century CE the cave was sanctified and used by Byzantine monks as a Christian holy place dedicated to John the Baptist. On its walls are some of the earliest drawings known in local Christian art depicting the life of John the Baptist and his symbols and the three crosses of the Crucifixion.
The cave was first used as a water reservoir in 800 BCE. In the late 1st century BCE it was used as a ritual bathing pool (mikveh) one of the largest found in Israel. In the cave were found unusual installations connected to early baptism procedures, including a unique foot-anointing stone, dating to the time of John the Baptist.
These outstanding finds bring together religion and science to shed light on the world of Jesus and his contemporaries.
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