18th Century Mikvah Discovered in Venezuela

By JTA December 16, 2013

A mikvah dating from the 18th century was discovered in Venezuela.

The Jewish ritual bath was discovered in the state of Falcon during the remodeling of the Art Museum Alberto Henriquez in the central town of Coro, according to the Prensa Latina news agency.

Its discovery was reported late last week. According to Prensa Latina, it is the only known ancient mikvah in Venezuela.

The museum is located in the Senior House, which was built in 1774 and bought by Jewish trader David Abraham Senior in 1847, who turned one room into a synagogue. It later became known as the Coro Synagogue.

Specialists from the School of Anthropology at the Central University of Venezuela are conducting the excavation under the auspices of the Venezuelan Ministry of Culture and coordinated by the Office of Planning and Design for Heritage Areas at Coro and La Vela, or OPEDAD.

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