Using Public Toilets in ancient Roman times is something that I would not feel overly comfortable about. The Public Toilets are very “Public”. As can be seen in the Photo above, you sit over the gap and the “doings” drop into a drain/trough underneath. Water would be running through the drain and “carry” things into the main sewer.
Depending on the quality of the facility, a slave may be on hand ready to offer you a sea sponge, freshly cleaned in vinegar, attached to the end of a stick.
Makes you think about the passage in John 19:29 when Jesus was crucified. Jesus had said “I am Thirsty”. “A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips.”
For more information about Beit She’an
- 2014-04-04 – Galilee to Jerusalem via Jericho
- Beit She’an
- Beit She’an – Bathhouse
- Beit She’an – Theatre
- Beit She’an – Biblical References
- Beit She’an – Mosaics
- Beit She’an – Palladius Street
- Beit She’an – Public Toilets