Archaeologists have discovered an exceptionally rare 1,900-year-old Aramaic inscription in a cave near the Dead Sea, believed to have been written during the 2nd-century Bar Kokhba Revolt against Rome. The four-line text, carved into the lower section of a stalactite, reads in part, “Abba of Naburya has perished,” though much of the remaining inscription is still being deciphered. Written in square Hebrew script, common after the Babylonian exile, the inscription’s preservation and content are almost unheard of for the period. The find was made in a well-studied cave within the Ein Gedi National Park that also contains a much older First Temple-period Hebrew inscription, as well as Roman swords in near-perfect condition—artifacts that may also date back to the Bar Kokhba era.

The style of the script, use of Aramaic, and proximity to other relics from the Jewish revolt suggest the inscription could date anywhere from the 1st to 2nd century A.D., though its exact origin is still under study. Researchers, led by Dr. Asaf Gayer and Prof. Jonathan Ben-Dov, plan to use multispectral imaging to recover more of the faint letters. The reference to “Abba of Naburya,” a name and place mentioned in the Jerusalem Talmud, deepens the historical intrigue, though the individual’s story remains unknown. This discovery, like the surrounding artifacts, offers a rare glimpse into Jewish resistance history and script evolution, as well as the enduring importance of the Judean Desert caves in preserving treasures from pivotal moments in Israel’s past

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SOURCE: All Israel News