The Second Exploration, 1961
In the second search of the Cave of Letters, in a previously explored section of the cave, a hidden crevice was discovered and in it a number of artifacts were found in a palm basket. The first thing to be pulled from the basket was an empty jewelry box, with a barrel shaped top and a flat bottom that was painted with yellow and red dots. Some wooden plates and bowls were pulled from the cache and also an iron sickle. A pair of sandals was also discovered, one of which was examined by an orthopedic specialist who judged from the shape of it, that the wearer of the sandal must have had a limp. Among the rest of the artifacts discovered were six knives, a frying pan, a mirror similar to the one found the previous year and six reeds containing papyri rolled inside them, these were discovered to have been carried in a leather pouch along with two other documents. Another bundle of documents was discovered that would be known latter as Babata’s cache. After finding the Babata cache more artifacts were found, including a second coin was found of the "Freedom of Jerusalem" period. A cooking pot and a net for fishing was also found, the net measuring 6 by 10 meters in length. Another cache was found in a hidden cleft and in it were 6 iron keys, known as Mishna, ‘knee’ or ‘elbow’ keys, so named because they were shaped to fit through a small opening through the gate and engage the lock on the other side of the gate. The next discovery was of a large glass bowl, and two smaller glass plates wrapped in palm fiber packaging, as well as two willow baskets and a strip of papyrus with verses 7 and 8 chapter 20 of Numbers written in Hebrew.
The documents discovered to be part of the leather pouch dealt with various land transactions, some being dealt with by Bar-Kokhba’s administrators during his first year as President of Israel. Another one described the terms in which the lands En-gedi would be leased and included signatures of four of the leases.
Read more about this topic: Cave Of Letters