Study of faeces in 2,500-year-old toilets reveals dysentery in Old Testament Jerusalem

A study of 2,500-year-old latrines from the biblical Kingdom of Judah found ancient faeces contained Giardia duodenalis – a parasite that can cause dysentery.

The research team led by the University of Cambridge say it is the oldest example we have of this diarrhoea-causing parasite infecting humans anywhere on the planet. The study is published in the journal Parasitology.

“The fact that these parasites were present in sediment from two Iron Age Jerusalem cesspits suggests that dysentery was endemic in the Kingdom of Judah,” said the study’s lead author, Dr Piers Mitchell, from Cambridge’s Department of Archaeology.

Dysentery is used to describe intestinal infectious diseases that are caused by parasites and bacteria. Triggering diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, fever and dehydration, it can be fatal, particularly for young children.

“Dysentery is spread by faeces contaminating drinking water or food, and we suspected it could have been a big problem in early cities of the ancient Near East due to overcrowding, heat and flies, and limited water available in the summer,” said Dr Mitchell.

The faecal samples were found in sediment underneath toilets in two building complexes excavated to the south of the Old City, which date back to the 7th century BCE, when Jerusalem was a capital of Judah.