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Published online 13 November 2006 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news061113-5
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Unearthed: ancient sect's extreme latrine
Toilet excavation could link site to Dead Sea Scrolls.
An ancient Jewish sect showed such devotion to their definition of purity that they pursued bizarre toilet habits that left them riddled with parasites, say researchers who have discovered and dug up their toilet.
The discovery, made at Qumran, near Jerusalem, could provide more proof linking the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Essene people who lived in the area, the researchers claim.
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