Tazria, (תזריע – she will conceive) Leviticus 12:1–13:59.
Leviticus 12:6
וּבִמְלֹאת יְמֵי טָהֳרָהּ, לְבֵן אוֹ לְבַת …
When the days of her purification are completed,
whether for a son or for a daughter…
This verse refers to the ritual of purification after childbirth, implicitly involving the mikveh.
Mikveh
The Jewish archaeological site of Besalú, declared a Bien Cultural de Interés Nacional1 in 2013, houses a synagogue, a courtyard, and a mikveh. With a water capacity of 331 liters, the mikveh stands out for its depth allowing direct filling from the groundwater, without the need for pipelines. It consists of an underground rectangular room topped with a barrel vault, accessible by a flight of thirty-six steps.
The Besalú Community
The presence of a Jewish community in Besalú dates back to 1229, confirmed by a document from King James I of Aragon reserving the profession of moneylender for Jews. In 1342, a quarter of the population was Jewish, but by 1435, the community disappeared and migrated to Castelló d’Empúries and Granollers.
1 BCIN, Cultural Heritage of National Interest in the “archaeological zone” category by the Department of Culture of the Government of Catalonia