The secret behind four 1,900-year-old Roman swords found in a cave in Israel

Archaeologists have found four Roman swords dating back 1,900 years in a cave overlooking the Dead Sea.

The arsenal was found after scientists from Ariel University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) returned to the cave site to study a stalactite bearing ancient Hebrew inscriptions, where they found a number of related artifacts.

According to a statement released by the IAA on September 6, the rare "arsenal" was found in a cave in the En Gedi Nature Reserve in the Judean Desert that spans parts of the West Bank and present-day Israel.

Swords found in a cave in the En Gedi Nature Reserve, Israel. (Photo: Emil Aladjem/IAA).

Caves at the archaeological site overlooking the Dead Sea. (Photo: Oriya Amichai/IAA).

According to the release, the four swords were found in a nearly inaccessible crevice on the upper level of the cave.

They were exceptionally well preserved, found together with hilts and scabbards made of leather, wood or metal. Three of the swords were Roman spathas , with blades 60-65 cm long, the fourth had a shorter, round hilt, 45 cm long.

'This is an impressive and exciting discovery, touching on a specific historical moment,' said IAA Director Eli Escusido.

According to researchers, these weapons may have been war spoils from the Roman army when the Roman Empire occupied the Judean region.

Scientists were surprised by the artifacts found. (Photo: Emil Aladjem/IAA).

The swords were hidden in a deep crevice on the upper level of the cave. (Photo: Emil Aladjem/IAA).

'The hiding of the swords in the deep crevices of the isolated cave north of En Gedi suggests that these weapons may have been spoils of war from Roman soldiers or from the battlefield, hidden for use by Judean rebels,' said Eitan Klein, director of the Judean Desert Survey Project, describing it as an extremely rare find with historical relevance, as nothing similar has ever been found in Israel.

After discovering the swords, archaeologists conducted extensive excavations in the cave, discovering artifacts from the Paleolithic period (about 6,000 years ago) and the Roman period (about 2,000 years ago).

The swords are well preserved, including the scabbards. (Photo: Dafna Gazit/IAA).

Artifacts on display. (Photo: Yoli Schwartz/IAA).

At the entrance to the cave, researchers found a bronze Bar Kochba coin dating from 132-135 AD, which is also the date of the swords.

This period coincides with the Bar Kochba revolt of Jews against Roman rule in Judea, led by rebel leader Simon Bar Kochba.

Scientists were surprised to discover the "arsenal".

The cave survey began in 2017 and helped archaeologists discover at least 20 new caves that were previously unknown.

In 2021, archaeologists announced that one of the caves contained previously undiscovered fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls.