Biblical Fragments Unearthed in the Judean Desert: A Journey Back to the Times of Bar Kochba

"These are the things you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, says Hashem."

These verses from Zechariah (8:16-17) were found in a refuge cave used by Jews escaping to the Judean Desert about 1,900 years ago. The verses were penned on dozens of parchment fragments uncovered during a highly challenging and intricate national archaeological operation managed by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the Judean Desert cliffs, aimed at eliminating antiquities theft.

The historical discovery comes roughly 60 years after biblical scroll fragments were last unearthed in an archaeological excavation. Besides the scroll fragments, the operation yielded other rare findings, including a coin hoard bearing Jewish symbols from the Bar Kochba era, a millennia-old skeleton, likely of a young girl wrapped in cloth and mummified, and a giant basket discovered intact.

The national initiative to survey and excavate the caves of the Judean Desert has been underway since October 2017, launched by the Israel Antiquities Authority, in partnership with the Archaeology Staff Officer of the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria, and funded by the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage. Its results were revealed today (Tuesday) for the first time.

A 2,000-year-old lice comb unveiled during the operation (Photo: Clara Amit, Israel Antiquities Authority)

The Judean Desert Scrolls include the earliest copies of the Bible. As such, they are considered the most significant archaeological find of the 20th century. The newly discovered fragments bear verses from the prophetic books of Zechariah and Nahum. They were uncovered in an archaeological excavation in the Judean Desert reserve, in the "Cave of Horror" in Nahal Hever, suspended between sky and earth. The cave sits approximately 80 meters below the cliff top, between abysses, requiring a daring descent to access. The Israel Antiquities Authority emphasized that entry into the cave is prohibited and poses a danger to hikers.

Additional findings left behind by the Jewish rebels who fled to the caves at the end of the Bar Kochba revolt included a rare coin hoard from the era bearing Jewish symbols like a lyre and palm tree, arrowheads, spears, textiles, sandals, and even lice combs.

Since the discovery of the Judean Desert Scrolls over 70 years ago, these caves have been targets for antiquities thieves. The climate in the caves allows for exceptional preservation of ancient scrolls and documents – cultural heritage assets of immense importance. Cave robbers risk their lives while destroying caves and the historical evidence within them searching for these treasures.

A rare Bar Kochba-era hoard (Photo: Dafna Gazit, Israel Antiquities Authority)

Since the operation's inception, teams from the Israel Antiquities Authority, led by Uriya Amichai, Haggai Hamer, and Haim Cohen, have systematically surveyed every cave and crevice in the desert cliffs. According to operation managers Dr. Ofer Sion, Amir Ganor, Dr. Eitan Klein, and Pablo Betzer from the Israel Antiquities Authority, about 80 kilometers of consecutive cliffs have been surveyed to date. The complex operation included the use of drones and access to hard-to-reach caves using rappelling and climbing techniques. Additionally, archaeological excavations were conducted in selected caves. The meticulous survey, which also included botanical and zoological aspects, is expected to shed new light on the study of the Judean Desert caves.

"The national campaign aims to save the rare and important heritage treasures in the desert from the clutches of thieves," said Israel Hasson, director of the Israel Antiquities Authority and initiator of the operation. "The desert team has shown bravery, dedication, and extraordinary commitment to the mission, descending into caves perched between heaven and earth, excavating and sifting under challenging conditions of thick dust and suffocation, returning with valuable gifts for human culture."

"The exposure of the new parchment fragments is a wake-up call for the state," Hasson declared. "Resources must be allocated to complete this historically significant operation. We must ensure that we extract all the information waiting to be discovered in the caves before the thieves do. Some things have priceless value."

A 2,000-year-old sandal discovered during the operation (Photo: Clara Amit, Israel Antiquities Authority)

Hanania Hizmi, the Archaeology Staff Officer in the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria, added: "This occasion is certainly emotional as we present and reveal to the public an important and significant piece of the history and culture of the Land of Israel. Already in the late 1940s, we were first exposed to the heritage and cultural assets left by the inhabitants of the Land of Israel with the initial discoveries of the Judean Desert Scrolls."

Hizmi noted that "In this national project, and following previous projects, new findings and evidence have been discovered that shed additional light on those periods and cultures in the region. The findings testify to a rich, diverse, and complex lifestyle, as well as the harsh climatic conditions that prevailed in the area hundreds and thousands of years ago. The Archaeology Staff Unit of the Civil Administration invests significant efforts and resources over the years, including in this operation, to preserve the archaeological sites across Judea and Samaria for future generations, while conducting enforcement actions and operations against antiquities robbers operating in the area."