Archaeologists: ancient weapons were trophies of Jewish rebels
Four ancient Roman swords, estimated to be 1900 years old, were found in a cave in Israel near the shores of the Dead Sea. Scientists are excited: to find so many ancient weapons at once and in this condition is truly a rarity.
Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority
Archaeologists have found four 1900 year old Roman swords and a polearm known as a pilum in a cave in Israel , according to CNN.
According to a press statement released by the Israel Antiquities Authority, a rare cache of weapons preserved in wooden and leather scabbards has been discovered in En Gedi Nature Reserve.
“Finding one sword is a rarity, but what does it mean to find four? It's a dream! We rubbed our eyes to believe it”, the researchers are not hiding their joy.
The weapons were probably war booty captured from the Roman army by Jewish rebels, according to the authors of a research article published on Wednesday in the book “ New Research in the Archeology of the Judean Desert: A Collection of Documents”.
The first evidence — The pilum and pieces of processed wood, which turned out to be scabbards, were accidentally found in an isolated and inaccessible cave on the rocks by archaeologists who were studying a fragmentary ink inscription on a stalactite.
Further investigation revealed four swords “in an almost inaccessible crevice on the upper cave level”, the statement said.
“Exceptionally well-preserved” swords were found next to pieces of leather, wood and metal. Three of the swords had iron blades in wooden scabbards and were 60-65 centimeters long. The fourth blade was 45 centimeters long.
“The hiding of swords and a pila in deep crevices in an isolated cave north of Engedi hints that the weapons were taken as a trophy from Roman soldiers or from the battlefield and deliberately hidden by Jewish rebels for reuse,” notes Eitan Klein, one of the directors of the Judean Desert Project.
“Obviously, the rebels did not want to be caught by the Roman authorities with these weapons. We are just beginning to explore the cave and the cache of weapons found in it, trying to find out who owned the swords, as well as where, when and by whom they were made,” he added.
According to a press release, when Further excavations unearthed a bronze coin «Bar Kokhba», dated 132-135 AD, possibly coinciding in time with the swords. During this time, the Bar Kochba Rebellion, also known as the Second Jewish Revolt, led many Jews to oppose Roman rule in the area.
“This is a dramatic and exciting discovery regarding a specific moment in time . Not everyone is aware that the dry climate conditions found in the Judean Desert make it possible to preserve artifacts that have not been preserved in other parts of the country, Eli Escucido, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said in a statement. – This is a unique time capsule that contains fragments of scrolls, coins from the Jewish Revolt, leather sandals, and now even sheathed swords, sharp as if they were hidden just today”.