In 2019, workers digging foundations for a Jerusalem visitor centre uncovered a 2,700-year-old luxury estate with a rare private toilet

In 2019, a routine construction project in Jerusalem led to an important archaeological discovery. Workers were digging the foundations for a new visitor centre at the Armon Hanatziv Promenade, an area known for its sweeping views over the city, when they hit something unexpected. Smithsonian Magazine's coverage of the dig explains that archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority, led by Ya'akov Billig, soon worked out that the fragments belonged to a grand estate built around the mid-7th century BC, roughly 2,700 years ago. Billig described the ornate balustrades and finely carved window frames as exceptionally well made, suggesting a home built for someone of considerable wealth and status. As the dig continued, the picture became clearer. This was not an ordinary house but a palace-like residence, complete with a garden that once held fruit trees and ornamental plants. Tucked away in that garden was a private stone toilet, a rare find in the region.

A rare mark of wealth in ancient Jerusalem

A toilet is easy to overlook when discussing ancient luxury. Most of us picture gold, jewellery or grand architecture. But in Iron Age Jerusalem, a private toilet was an unusually clear marker of status. Having a dedicated facility rather than relying on shared or outdoor arrangements was a comfort associated with wealthy households. The stone seat at Armon Hanatziv sat above a deep cesspit that collected waste below. Pollen from fruit and pine trees suggests the surrounding structure may have had windows or possibly an open roof, adding to the picture of a carefully designed garden estate.


Yet the luxury of the property offered little protection from the health problems of the period. When researchers examined the material preserved beneath the stone seat, they found evidence that even this affluent household had lived with intestinal parasites.

What scientists found hidden beneath the seat

Dr Dafna Langgut of Tel Aviv University, working with the Israel Antiquities Authority, examined sediment from beneath the toilet seat. Microscopic analysis revealed eggs from four types of intestinal parasites: Ascaris lumbricoides, or roundworm; Trichuris trichiura, or whipworm; Taenia, a tapeworm; and Enterobius vermicularis, or pinworm.

These parasites could cause a range of problems. Roundworm infections can produce abdominal symptoms, while whipworm can cause painful bowel movements. Tapeworm infections can lead to abdominal discomfort and weight loss, and pinworms are associated with intense itching. The identification of Taenia indicates exposure to a tapeworm parasite, although its presence does not establish that the household ate pork. In this Iron Age Judean context, that distinction is important because pork was prohibited under the dietary laws observed by the region's Jewish population. The parasite could also have been acquired through other routes, including contaminated food or water.

The findings also offer a glimpse into the limits of ancient sanitation. A private toilet represented considerable comfort, but it did not eliminate the possibility of faecal contamination or transmission of intestinal parasites. Food preparation, drinking water and personal hygiene all mattered, and residents had none of the modern medicines or sanitation systems available today.

For the people who lived in the estate, these infections may have persisted for extended periods. Children could have been particularly vulnerable to the effects of heavy or repeated parasitic infections, including problems associated with nutrition and development. Wealth could provide an elegant home, a landscaped garden and a private toilet, but it could not guarantee protection from microscopic threats.

That contrast is what makes the Armon Hanatziv toilet so revealing. The stone seat was once a symbol of privilege, but the material preserved beneath it tells a more complicated story about life in ancient Jerusalem. Archaeology did not just uncover evidence of how an elite family lived. It also revealed one of the everyday health challenges that wealth alone could not solve.