Located in Ostia Antica, the mikvah dates to the late fourth or early fifth century C.E. Researchers say it's the earliest discovery of its kind outside the Middle East

Archaeologists working at Ostia Antica, an ancient Roman port city, have discovered the oldest Jewish ritual bath outside of the Middle East, along with an oil lamp decorated with a menorah dated to the fifth to sixth centuries.

As they worked, the team uncovered a smaller rectangular room with a wide set of steps leading down to a well. Archaeologists identified it as an ancient Jewish ritual bath, known as a mikveh, dating back at least 1,400 years.

The ruins of an ancient Jewish ritual bath have been found near Rome – the oldest such discovery outside of the biblical region of Israel and the surrounding area.