Of swords, stalactites, and the Valley of Salt

WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING. Yes, I know I said I was "on the mend" a week ago. That was a bit optimistic. But I'm back now and catching up on everything, including blogging.

The big story of the last week, of course, has been the discovery of those four swords in a cave:

Four 1,900-year-old Roman swords found in Judean Desert, likely from Bar Kochba revolt. Apparently stolen by Jewish rebels, the incredibly well-preserved weapons are ‘an extremely rare find, the likes of which have never been found in Israel’ (MELANIE LIDMAN, Times of Israel).

The four swords were discovered shoved into a small fissure in a cave near Ein Gedi National Park, near the Dead Sea. The cave is already well-known to archaeologists, as it contains a stalactite with a fragmentary ink inscription written in ancient Hebrew script characteristic of the First Temple period.

Recently, Dr. Asaf Gayer of Ariel University, geologist Boaz Langford of Hebrew University, and Israel Antiquities Authority photographer Shai Halevi returned to the cave to photograph the stalactite with multispectral photography, which can decipher additional parts of the inscription not visible to the naked eye. While inside the cave, Gayer spotted an extremely well-preserved Roman pilum — a shafted weapon — in a deep, narrow crack in the rock. He also found pieces of carved wood in an adjacent niche that turned out to be parts of the swords’ scabbards.

The researchers reported the find to the Israel Antiquities Authority and returned to the site with the Judean Desert Archaeological Survey Team, which is conducting a multi-year comprehensive survey of more than 800 caves in the Judean Desert to find and preserve archaeological remains before they are looted.

It was then that they discovered the four swords, three of which were found with the blades still inside their scabbards. Researchers also found ornate handles made of wood and metal with leather strips nearby. The arid climate in the Judean Desert helps preserve fragile artifacts that might otherwise be lost to the ravages of time, including materials such as leather and wood, which are rarely found in wetter parts of the country.

That fragmentary ink inscription that precipitated the discovery has received less attention. But it's important.

Redeciphered First Temple inscription may shed light on biblical ‘Valley of Salt.’ Quest to use multispectral imaging on an ancient inscription on stalactite in remote cave near Ein Gedi has surprising side effect: The discovery of four Roman soldiers’ swords (Amanda Borschel-Dan, Times of Israel).

The reconstructed inscription appears to read:

Blessed is YHWH
Blessed in the Valley of Salt(?)
Blessed is God.

The newly recovered letters are of the words "in the Valley of Salt(?)" in the second line. The article fills out the implications.

The Judean Desert Archaeological Survey Team appears to be the current title of what was once called Operation Scroll (see here and cf. here; subsequently, see here and links). Last week there was an update article tied to the discoveries above:

Crack unit of rock-climbing archaeologists claims success in curbing antiquities theft. Six years into wide-scale Judean Desert cave survey operation, few Dead Sea Scrolls fragments are found. But the Land of Israel’s historical picture is ever more in focus, says IAA (Amanda Borschel-Dan, Times of Israel).

Speaking with The Times of Israel at a celebratory unveiling of the team’s most recent discovery — four almost perfectly preserved Roman swords dating from the era of the Bar Kochba Revolt — Dr. Eitan Klein, the deputy head of the Theft Prevention Unit, said the Judean Desert operation marks the first time that the unit is playing offense versus defense with antiquities looters.

For the discovery of the Jerusalem Papyrus in 2016, see here. There has been a lot of debate on whether it is genuine or a forgery. For many posts, start here and follow the links.

For more on the escalating issue of looting, unprovenanced artifacts, and the antiquities market, see here, here, here and links. And for more on the messy situation involving the Heliodorus Stele, see here and links.

That's not all that's been happening, but it's enough for now. I am still catching up.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.