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Zenger
Zenger
World
Stephen Beech

Ancient Toilet Study Finds Dysentery Was Rife In Old Testament Times

Prayer paper notes are seen at the Western Wall at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, Israel on December 27, 2022. BEATA ZAWRZEL/SWNS TALKER

Potentially deadly dysentery was rife in Old Testament Jerusalem, reveals a new study of ancient toilets.

An analysis of 2,500-year-old samples taken from two latrines in the Holy City, dating back to the biblical Kingdom of Judah, uncovered traces of a single-celled microorganism Giardia duodenalis —  a common cause of debilitating diarrhea in humans.

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