900-year-old sword dating back to the Crusades found off the coast of Israel

MAHMOUD BENNETT: AN ANCIENT DISCOVERY OFF THE COAST OF ISRAEL TAKES US BACK TO A TIME WHEN KNIGHTS WORE ARMOR AND CARRIED SWORDS.

AN AMATEUR SCUBA DIVER DISCOVERED A NINE HUNDRED YEAR OLD SWORD 16 FEET UNDER WATER, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN FLOOR OFF THE COAST OF HAIFA, ISRAEL.

YAAKOV SHARVIT: WE KNOW THAT USUALLY UNDER THE WATER, THE ARCHEOLOGICAL MATERIALS SURVIVE BETTER THAN ON LAND.

MAHMOUD BENNETT: ROUGHLY 4 FEET LONG, WEIGHING BETWEEN 2-5 POUNDS, THE SWORD IS COVERED WITH MARINE ORGANISMS AND SHELLS, BUT IS STILL IN ONE PIECE AND WELL PRESERVED ACCORDING TO THE ISRAELI ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY.

YAAKOV SHARVIT: IT’S THE BEGINNING OF THE RESEARCH. WE HAVE TO CLEAN IT AND THEN WE WILL GET SOME MORE INFORMATION.

MAHMOUD BENNETT: EXPERTS BELIEVE IT’S MADE OF IRON AND ONCE BELONGED TO A CRUSADER KNIGHT. ONE BECAUSE IT WAS FOUND NEAR THE HOLY LAND AND TWO BECAUSE OF THE SWORD’S DISTINCT FEATURES.

YAAKOV SHARVIT: BECAUSE OF THE AREA WHERE THE SWORD WAS FOUND – NOT SO FAR FROM THE CRUSADER CASTLE OF ATLIT. WE ARE ASSUMING THAT IT BELONGED TO THE CRUSADER PERIOD BECAUSE OF THE SIZE AND OTHER DETAILS OF THE SWORD.

MAHMOUD BENNETT: THE CRUSADES WERE A SERIES OF RELIGIOUS WARS IN THE MIDDLE AGES BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS TO SECURE CONTROL OF HOLY SITES CONSIDERED SACRED TO BOTH GROUPS.

HUNDREDS OF YEARS LATER, A PIECE OF THAT HISTORY – REDISCOVERED.

ISRAELI AUTHORITIES CALL THE SWORD A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE FIND.
IT WILL BE PUT ON DISPLAY FOR THE PUBLIC AFTER IT’S CLEANED AND RESTORED.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS HISTORIC FIND? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.