Suba

Cave of John the Baptist

an aerial view of an archaeological site


Suba is located near Kibbutz Tzova (pronounced like Suba) not far from the village of En Karim, a town frequently referred to as the birthplace of John the Baptist.


This cave, discovered on kibbutz grounds and excavated between 1999 and 2005, is the subject of a book entitled “The Cave of John the Baptist“ written by Dr. Shimon Gibson (available on Amazon.com).


In addition to functioning as a location for possible religious baptismal rites in the Roman period, the cave once served in the Iron Age as a cistern, with clay pits for pottery-making adjoining it.


The data and artifacts from the cave are now being processed towards publication with the assistance of CHANE, and the final scholarly report is currently being prepared for publication.