Bar Kokhba papyri

ANNIVERSARY: This Day in Jewish History / Archaeologist announces finding 2,000-year old letters by Bar Kochba in desert cave. The letters presented by Yigael Yadin were signed by Bar Kochba, the man revered by modern Israelis — but who led the Jewish nation to disaster (David B. Green, Haaretz).

On May 12, 1960, archaeologist Yigael Yadin, appearing at the Jerusalem residence of President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, announced the astounding discovery of a cache of 2,000-year-old letters.

The letters had been signed by the legendary Jewish warrior Shimon Bar Kochba, leader of a devastating second-century revolt against Rome, and had been found high up in a cave overlooking the Nahal Hever canyon, west of the Dead Sea.

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JTA has posted the original announcement of the find here. More on the Bar Kokhba revolt is here and links.