SWORD PLAY
Your article “Cave of Swords” (“Top 10 Discoveries of 2023,” January/February 2024), about the swords found in Israel, was interesting, but I question the identification of the swords as . The spatha was a long sword, usually with 25 to 30 inches of blade. It was originally used by cavalry troops and did not become common until at least the second. The early gladius () had a blade 24 to 26 inches long. This type of gladius was adopted in about 200 B.C. By A.D. 50, the gladius had gradually become shorter. These are sometimes called or Pompeii type. The spatha is a longer version of the gladius germanicus.
