Cave of Letters
מערת האיגרות | |
Cave of Letters, mid-20th century | |
Cave of Letters Location in Israel | |
| Location | Nahal Hever, South District, Israel |
|---|---|
| Region | Judaean Desert |
| Coordinates | 31°25′57.38″N 35°20′34.49″E / 31.4326056°N 35.3429139°E |
| Type | Karstic cave |
| Part of | Bar Kokhba refuge caves |
| History | |
| Periods | Jewish–Roman wars |
| Associated with | Jewish rebels |
| Events | Bar Kokhba revolt |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | Yohanan Aharoni, Yigael Yadin, Richard Freund |
The Cave of Letters (Hebrew: מערת האיגרות, romanized: Marat Ha-Igerot) is a refuge cave in Nahal Hever in the Judean Desert where letters and fragments of papyri from the Roman Empire period were found. Some are related to the Bar Kokhba revolt (circa 131–136 CE), including letters of correspondence between Bar Kokhba and his subordinates. Another notable bundle of papyri, known as the Babatha cache, comprises legal documents of Babatha, a female landowner of the same period.