The purpose of the ritual bat hs in the tombs of the kings: A new proposal

The monumental burial complex known as the "Tombs of the Kings" is regarded by scholars as the burial plot of Queen Helena of Adiabene and her family, who lived in Jerusalem in the first century CE. In this paper we reconsider the original purpose of the two large ritual baths in the burial compound, based on the location of the site relative to its surroundings. The scholarship assumes that ritual baths situated next to tombs were intended for use by participants in funerals or memorial ceremonies. In this paper we suggest that in the case of the Tombs of the Kings, the adjacent baths were meant for purification of pilgrims en route to Jerusalem, as can be understood from their geographical location.