Podcast:

tied leather pouch holding legal papers made from papyrus

Join ancient historian Lindsey Haines (UC Classics) for “This Year in History, 1961” and learn about Yigael Yadin’s discovery of the Babatha Archives in the Cave of Letters at Nahal Hever in eastern Israel. This remarkable archive of documents, dated to the 2nd century A.D., contains the personal legal papers of a woman named Babatha. Learn about this remarkable ancient woman’s struggles to retain her property, care for members of her family, and secure her finances during trying political times when women’s legal rights were not always assured.

Written and performed by Lindsey Haines; produced by Christian Cloke and Sarah Lima; featuring Vivaldi's Gloria; recording and editing by R. Aaron Allen Productions.