Beit HaTevila

The ritual bath chamber at the end of the mesiba. The kohen who became impure goes down into the water, comes up, dries himself and warms up before the fire, then returns to sit beside his brothers in the Beit HaMoked until the gates open. There is a fire there and a "privy of honor": found locked, one knows someone is inside.

Dimensions

• beneath the north-west corner of the Azara, seven steps above the tunnel
• a mikveh of 6 × 8 amot with 3 amot of water, eight steps down into it
• the hearth where one warms up after the tevila
• the beit kisse shel kavod, its door closed

Sources

• Tamid 1:1“וּמְדוּרָה הָיְתָה שָׁם, וּבֵית כִּסֵּא שֶׁל כָּבוֹד. וְזֶה הָיָה כְבוֹדוֹ, מְצָאוֹ נָעוּל, יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁיֶּשׁ שָׁם אָדָם”
• Rambam, Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 5:11
• Rambam, Hilchot Mikvaot 4:1“אַמָּה עַל אַמָּה בְּרוּם שָׁלֹשׁ אַמּוֹת”

Project decisionTour's choice: no source locates or measures this room. Its place, its size and the shape of the bath, the hearth and the toilet are designed for the tour.