(HorizonPost.com) – Robert A. Heinlein once said, “A generation which ignores history has no past – and no future.” According to the Christian Bible in the Book of Acts, the town of Caesarea, Israel, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, was home to the Italian Regiment of the Roman Legion. Almost 1200 years later, England’s King Richard the Lion Heart captured the city during one of his Crusades. A sword found on the seafloor by a recreational scuba diver is believed to have originated from that era.
Shlomi Katzin was swimming approximately five meters (~16 feet) below the surface when he spotted the sword among other ancient pieces such as pottery and anchors. Knowing the sand constantly shifts in the area, he grabbed it and brought it to the surface. He then delivered it to the experts at Israel’s Antiquities Authority, who estimated it to be approximately 900 years old on first inspection. However, more specific dating will have to wait because “it was found encrusted with marine organisms,” according to one inspector.
Jacob Sharvit of the Authority believes being underwater preserved the meter-long (~3-4 foot) sword and claimed, “It’s the first time that we found a beautiful sword like this.” As for Mr. Katzin, he knew it was his civic duty to turn the relic over to Israel. He only asked for one reward — a picture of him holding it.
Copyright 2021, HorizonPost.com
