A diver has found an ancient sword near the coast of Haifa in northern Israel, which is claimed to be about 900 years old.
Shlomi Katzen, a diver in shallow water off the coast of Haifa, found the 3.3-foot-long sword, which is probably 900 years old and may have been used by a fighter during the Crusades.
The sword is still intact, but it has a layer of marine material on its surface, and it is possible that it came to the surface due to the transfer of sea sand.
The Israeli Antiquities Department says the sword will be on public display once it is restored to its original condition.
Kobe Sharot, head of the Israeli Marine Archeology Unit, said the sword was large and heavy. The site from which this sword was discovered In ancient times, this beach was used as a shelter for ships during hurricanes.
He says the sword may have been used by a warrior who fought in the Crusades between 1096 and 1200, and the person who used it may have been very powerful because it weighed so much.
Christians have fought for centuries to reclaim other holy sites, including Jerusalem, from Muslims, known as the Crusades.
