Title
Description
This image shows an ancient manuscript with Hebrew writing from the 2nd century CE. This document, along with others, were found in the “Cave of Letters,” located in Nahal Hever, a canyon near the Dead Sea. In total, about 14 letters were sent from Simeon Bar Kokhba, a messianic leader of the Jewish rebels against Rome, to his commanders stationed north at Ein Gedi. They demanded the confiscation of grain from nearby farmers and threatened to punish anyone who did not obey. Another 35 documents belong to the “archive of Babatha,” a prominent Jewish woman who owned land and slaves. This all took place during the Second Jewish War with Rome—known as the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–135 CE)—when Jewish fighters hid these documents in caves. They hoped to retrieve them later. The letters comprise military correspondences, real estate contracts, legal records, and religious texts. They remained buried for almost 2000 years until they were discovered in the 1950s.