Bar Kokhba revolt At the top of the cliff above the Cave of Horror were the ruins of a Roman camp, similar to the one found above the Cave of Letters. The skeletons of 40 men, women and children were discovered inside. Of the 40 dead the names of three are known, since inscribed potsherds (
ostraca) bearing their names were found placed on their remains. In investigations following the first one by Yadin, a number of fragments of letters and writings were discovered in the cave, among them a number of
Bar Kokhba coins and a Greek copy of the
biblical Book of the Twelve, an already old scroll by the time it was brought into the cave since it was dated to 50-1
BC. The newly discovered fragments, which belong to the Books of
Zechariah and
Nahum, contain surprising variations compared to the
Masoretic Text commonly used today.
Neolithic basket A 10,500 year old neolithic era basket was discovered in the cave. It is made by weaving. The basket, described by the
Israel Antiquities Authority as the world's oldest intact woven basket, was preserved due to the desert's arid climate. It could hold around 90-100 liters and dates to the
Pre-pottery Neolithic period, predating the
Dead Sea scrolls found. == See also ==