Shlomi Katzin found this three-foot blade in the seabed just offshore at Israel's Dor Beach — not far from where he'd found another Crusader's sword in 2021.
Yoav Bornstein/University of HaifaThe sword was designed to be held with one hand, despite being made of iron and measuring more than three feet long.
In 2021, Shlomi Katzin made the discovery of a lifetime when he found a sword from the Crusades while scuba diving in Israel. But now, Katzin has uncovered another sword from the Crusades while swimming right nearby.
This sword — like the last one, made of iron and measuring in at just over three feet — is encrusted with shells and sand but is otherwise in fairly good condition. Researchers were able to examine this incredible relic via CT scan and determined that it was forged in Europe in the 12th century, a time when European knights poured into the Middle East in the hopes of “retaking” Jerusalem.
The Chance Discovery Of A 12th-Century Crusader’s Sword At Dor Beach
According to a statement from the University of Haifa, archaeology student Shlomi Katzin was not looking to make any discoveries when he went to Dor Beach, and instead sought only to swim. However, he had indeed found a Crusader’s sword while scuba diving not far away in 2021. But while Katzin was swimming, he noticed scuba divers with metal detectors, who he suspected were antiquities thieves.
While chasing the thieves away, Katzin happened to notice the hilt of an historic sword peeking out of the seabed. He immediately notified university officials, who alerted the Israel Antiquities Authority, which quickly approved the sword’s removal from the sea.
The sword, just over three feet long and estimated to be from the 12th century, was safely recovered and brought to the University of Haifa for further study. Researchers examined it with a CT scan, which helped them to determine that the sword was meant to be held in one hand, that it was forged in Europe, and that only a small sliver of its original iron had survived.
Yoav Bornstein/University of HaifaThe hilt of the Crusader’s sword, which researchers dated to the 12th century.
Given its age and provenance, researchers are certain that it once belonged to a European Crusader, who would have deeply valued such an impressive weapon.
“Since their invention, swords have been among the most important tools in the history of mankind,” said Sarah Lantos of the Department of Maritime Civilizations at the School of Archaeology and Maritime Civilizations at the University of Haifa. “In the Middle Ages, the sword became a symbol of The knights and knighthoods, as well as a symbol of the Christian faith. It was also one of the most common weapons used by the Crusader knights, and their lives depended on them. Swords were precious objects, and therefore were carefully cared for and preserved.”
Swords like this one thus provide incredible insight into what life was like during the Crusades that unfolded between the 11th and 13th centuries.
A Brief History Of The Crusades
The Crusades began in 1095, when Pope Urban II called on Christians to seize control of the holy city of Jerusalem, which had been taken by Muslim forces in the 7th century. The pope stated that anyone who participated would have their sins forgiven, assuring their passage to heaven.
Over the next two centuries, tens of thousands of European warriors poured into the Middle East. Though the European Christian forces enjoyed early victories, and initially took Jerusalem, Muslim forces ultimately triumphed by the time the Crusades ended at the end of the 13th century.
Despite the length of the Crusades, however, and the number of warriors who fought in them, the recovery of artifacts like swords remains incredibly rare. It’s thus astounding that Katzin found one sword, let alone two.
Nir Disteleld/Israel Antiquities AuthorityShlomi Katzin with the first Crusader sword that he found while scuba diving in Israel in 2021.
“This is an extremely rare find that sheds light on the Crusader presence on the coasts of the country,” said Debbie Tsveikal, from the Department of Maritime Civilizations at the School of Archaeology and Maritime Cultures at the University of Haifa. “Only a handful of similar swords from the Crusader period are known in the Land of Israel, and this discovery contributes greatly to our understanding of the use of maritime anchorages and the lives of warriors during this period.”
After reading about the 12th-century Crusader’s sword that was found off the coast of Israel, go inside the shadowy history of the Knights Templar, the Catholic military order formed during the Crusades. Then, go inside the curious history of the search for the Holy Grail.
