Nahal Hever
Encyclopedia
Nahal Hever is a stream in the Judean Desert
that flows from Ein Gedi
and Masada
to the Dead Sea
.
At the head of the stream are two caves, the "cave of letters
" (מערת האיגרות), and, further up, the "cave of horrors" (מערת האימה) in which have been found archeological evidences of the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–136).
The sites were discovered 1953 and investigated 1960-1961 by Yigael Yadin
. The papyri were published in two volumes; Greek (1989), and Hebrew and Aramaic (1991).
Judean desert
The Judaean Desert is a desert in Israel and the West Bank that lies east of Jerusalem and descends to the Dead Sea. It stretches from the northeastern Negev to the east of Beit El, and is marked by terraces with escarpments. It ends in a steep escarpment dropping to the Dead Sea and the Jordan...
that flows from Ein Gedi
Ein Gedi
Ein Gedi is an oasis in Israel, located west of the Dead Sea, near Masada and the caves of Qumran.-Etymology:The name En-gedi is composed of two Hebrew words: ein means spring and gdi means goat-kid. En Gedi thus means "Kid spring."...
and Masada
Masada
Masada is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel, on top of an isolated rock plateau, or horst, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada is best known for the violence that occurred there in the first century CE...
to the Dead Sea
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
.
At the head of the stream are two caves, the "cave of letters
Cave of Letters
The Cave of Letters is a cave located in the Dead Sea area that contained one of the largest caches of ancient documents and personal correspondence ever discovered in the land of Israel. Discovered in 1960 by Israeli archaeologist Yigael Yadin, the cave contained letters from Bar Kochba, leader...
" (מערת האיגרות), and, further up, the "cave of horrors" (מערת האימה) in which have been found archeological evidences of the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–136).
The sites were discovered 1953 and investigated 1960-1961 by Yigael Yadin
Yigael Yadin
Yigael Yadin on 21 March 1917, died 28 June 1984) was an Israeli archeologist, politician, and the second Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.-Early life and military career:...
. The papyri were published in two volumes; Greek (1989), and Hebrew and Aramaic (1991).