18th Century Mikvah Discovered in Venezuela
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.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
