Bar Kokhba
Discoveries from the "Cave of the Letters"

In 1960- 61, archaeologist Yigael Yadin conducted excavations of the "Cave of the Letters" in Nahal Hever, south of Ein Gedi, where he revealed finds from the period of the Bar Kokhba Revolt (132- 135 CE). The artifacts indicate that the cave served as a place of refuge for a group of inhabitants from En Gedi, who had been forced to flee the Roman army following the failure of the Revolt. The Romans pursued them, establishing a camp on the cliff above the entrance to the cave. There was thus no possibility of escape, for whoever dared exit the cave would have been struck down by Roman arrows. We do not know exactly how the fugitives met their fates, but the seventeen skeletons discovered at the site indicate that they died within the cave, leaving behind a wide variety of rare finds: documents and exchanges of letters in Hebrew and Aramaic between the commander of the Bar Kokhba Revolt and the commanders at En Gedi, as well as the personal archive of a woman named Babata. On view here are the everyday belongings of those who hid in the cave: household items, clothing, keys, and vessels. Of particular importance are the objects made of organic materials, which were preserved thanks to the dry climate of the Judean desert. The finds shed light on the lifestyle of the inhabitants of this region at the beginning of the 2nd century CE.

The finds from the "Cave of the Letters" are now permanently exhibited at the Second Temple Period gallery, The Israel Museum.