Text Panel
Babatha was born in a farm village in the area southeast of the Dead Sea. She was widowed twice, acquired wealth and owned many orchards – including orchards in Ein Gedi that she inherited from her second husband.
During the Bar Kokhba revolt, the residents of Ein Gedi found refuge in caves which they had prepared in advance. Babatha, who fled along with them, took her neatly filed documents with her as well as her personal belongings: the keys to her house, elegant kitchenware, clothes, balls of wool and, interestingly enough, a mirror and a decorative box of makeup. The Romans discovered these places of hiding in the Judean Desert, including the cave where Babatha was hiding in Nahal hever. None of the rebels survived, but the possessions that Babatha took with her still remain today.
