Ancient sword and menorah sketch found in Jerusalem

NEW DISCOVERIES IN JERUSALEM are reported in an IAA press release published by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Artifacts breathe new life into the destruction of the Temple (also taken up widely elsewhere). The key facts are here:

A 2,000 year old iron sword, still in its leather scabbard, was discovered in work the Israel Antiquities Authority is doing in the channel, which served as a hiding refuge for the residents of Jerusalem from the Romans at the time of the Second Temple's destruction. In addition, parts of the belt that carried the sword were found.

According to the excavation directors Eli Shukron of the Israel Antiquities Authority and Professor Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa, "It seems that the sword belonged to an infantryman of the Roman garrison stationed in Israel at the outbreak of the Great Revolt against the Romans in 66 CE. The sword's fine state of preservation is surprising: not only its length (c. 60 cm), but also the preservation of the leather scabbard (a material that generally disintegrates quickly over time) and some of its decoration".

A stone object adorned with a rare engraving of a menorah was found in the soil beneath the street, on the side of the drainage channel. According to Shukron and Professor Reich, "Interestingly, even though we are dealing with a depiction of the seven-branched candelabrum, only five branches appear here. The portrayal of the menorah's base is extremely important because it clarifies what the base of the original menorah looked like, which was apparently tripod shaped".

Follow the link for nice photos of both objects. The thematic connection between the sword and Tisha B'Av is obvious, and one might guess that the timing of the announcement is not entirely coincidental. The speculation about the origin of the menorah engraving, while not implausible, is just speculation. These artifacts were found in a Second Temple-era drainage ditch, apparently the one that recently gave us that golden bell.