Bar Kokhba refuge caves

[1] Unlike the other two hideout systems used by the rebels, the man-made rock-cut hiding complexes, and the hard-to-reach cliff shelters which often contain hewn installations, the refuge caves remained largely untouched by human intervention.

These include fragments of Biblical scrolls, documents inscribed in Aramaic and Greek, a variety of weaponry—both locally produced and plundered from the Romans—and coins minted by the Bar Kokhba administration.

[1][4] These artifacts provide valuable insights into daily life during this tumultuous period, illuminating the experiences of refugees who were prepared for an uncertain future and hopeful for a return to their homes.

[1] These caves are believed to have provided sanctuary for Jewish refugees fleeing from their homes in the eastern Judean Mountains and the Jordan Valley,[3] mainly originated from nearby areas such as Ein Gedi along the western shore of the Dead Sea, villages in the southern Hebron region, and northern locations like Herodium, Jerusalem, and Jericho.

[13] Until recently, the vast majority of the hideout systems datable to the Bar Kokhba revolt (hiding complexes, cliff shelters, and refuge caves) were documented in what in biblical terms is known as the territory of Judah.

[23] The 'Caves of the Spear' are a group of five refuge caves discovered north of Ein Gedi during the 2001-2004 survey, where Bar Kokhba coins, glass vessels, and weaponry were found, including a rare spearhead.