Cave of John the Baptist

The Times-News Online ;"KIBBUTZ TZUBA, Israel -- Archaeologists think they've found a cave where John the Baptist baptized many of his followers -- basing their theory on thousands of shards from ritual jugs, a stone used for foot cleansing and wall carvings telling the story of the biblical preacher. Only a few artifacts linked to New Testament figures have ever been found in the Holy Land, and the cave is potentially a major discovery in biblical archaeology. John, a distant relative of Jesus -- their mothers were kin, according to the Bible -- was a fiery preacher with a message of repentance and a considerable following. Tradition says he was born in the village of Ein Kerem, which today is part of modern Jerusalem. Just 2.5 miles away, on the land of Kibbutz Tzuba, a communal farm, the cave lies hidden in a limestone hill -- 24 yards long, four yards deep and four yards wide. It was carved by the Israelites in the Iron Age, sometime between 800 B.C. and 500 B.C, the scientists said. Over the centuries, the cave filled with mud and sediment, leaving only a tiny opening that was hidden by trees and bushes. The explorers uncovered 28 steps leading to the bottom of the cave. Near the end of the stairs, the team found an oval stone with a foot-shaped indentation -- about a shoe size 11. Just above, a soapdish-like niche apparently held ritual oil that would flow through a small channel onto the believer's right foot.On the water-covered floor of the cave, stones and boulders were moved aside by the worshippers and a middle path was filled with gravel. Crude images were carved on the walls, near the ceiling, they tell the story of John's life. One is the figure of the man. The man appears to have an unruly head of hair and wears a tunic with dots, apparently meant to suggest an animal hide. He grasps a staff and holds up his other hand in a gesture of proclamation. On the opposite wall is a carving of a face that could be meant to symbolize John's severed head. The preacher had his head cut off by Herod Antipas after he dared take the ruler to task over an illicit affair"

I love reading about things like this, wish I had money to just travel to see things from the past and their findings.