Bar Kochba Caves

The use of the cave of letters is still under some debate but the artefacts are revealing.

Bar kochba caves.

The site is a few kilometers southwest of en gedi approximately 10 kilometers north of masada on the western shore of the dead sea. The most common theory is that the cave was used as a hideaway by jewish refugees who were escaping oppressive roman rule. Enter the narrow track and take the right turn at the t junction. The bar kochba caves are located on route 38 a few kilometers south of ha ela junction.

Follow the path for a couple of kilometers until you get to the entrance to a village. Babatha would have been in the area in 132 ce at the time of the bar kochba revolt. The cave of the skulls was so named after the remains of seven people. This second jewish rebelleion against rome ended also with a terrible defeat and it was the last jewish attempt to achieve independance in the holy land in antiquity.

There is a brown sign pointing towards churvat madras left as you arrive from ha ela junction. The various underground tactical caves carved in the shefelah region were made in preperation for a second jewish attempt to rebel against the romans which occurred in the years 132 135 ce. The cave is located at the head of nahal hever in the judean desert about 40 kilometres 25 mi south of qumran 20 km south of wadi murabba at.