Israel archeologists discover four Roman-era swords in Judean desert

Archeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) discovered Roman-era swords and a javelin, preserved for nearly 1,900 years in wood and leather scabbards, inside a cave in the Judean Desert.

The four swords were discovered shoved into a small fissure in a cave near Ein Gedi National Park, near the Dead Sea. Three of the swords are Roman spatha swords, with blades 60 to 65 centimeters long.

The fourth weapon, a ring-pommel sword, is shorter, with a 45-centimeter blade. The swords likely belonged to Roman soldiers and were stolen by Judean rebels who hid them in a cave either for later use or to avoid being caught with them.