Found in Jerusalem, 2,700-Year-Old Toilet Was An Uncommon Luxury

JERUSALEM — Authorities in Jerusalem announced Tuesday that archaeologists discovered a unique antique toilet going back more than 2,700-year-old toilet was a rarity in the holy city.

The smooth, carved limestone toilet was discovered in a rectangular hut that was part of a large palace overlooking what is now the Old City, according to the Israeli Antiquities Authority. It was built with a deep septic tank excavated below for comfortable seating.

“Private toilet cubicles were extremely unusual in antiquity, and only a few have been discovered to date,” says the author “Yaakov Billig, the excavation’s director, stated.

“Only the wealthy could afford toilets,” she says “He went on to say that a famous rabbi once remarked that being wealthy meant having a toilet next to his table.

Animal bones and ceramics discovered in the septic tank might reveal information about people’s lifestyles and diets at the time, as well as old illnesses, according to the antiquities authorities.

The researchers discovered stone capitals and columns from the time period, as well as evidence of a surrounding garden with orchards and aquatic plants, indicating that the people who lived there were well-off.