Four swords from Bar Kohba war were discovered | Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority
Four Roman swords and a spearhead were discovered in good condition in caves near the Dead Sea in Israel.
The discovery was made in the upper parts of the caves during excavations conducted by researchers commissioned by the Israel Antiquities Authority. The three swords still had their blades hidden in their wooden blades. Other remains of weapons were also found in the caves.
The three swords in question had 60-65 cm blades, which allows them to be identified as Roman spathae swords, used by cavalry. The fourth sword was shorter and had a 45 cm blade.
Archaeologists dated the finds to the 2nd century CE, and it is believed that they could have been the loot of Jewish rebels from the so-called the Bar Kohba war (132–135 CE).
- Ancient Warfare, XVI.6
