Throughout history the sword had represented power and nobility.  The sword was a more prestigious weapon than an axe or mace (club).  Swords of this era (New Testament 50 AD)  tended to be about 24-28” long handle included.  At the time of Christ mankind had recently entered the iron age which saw the emerge of steel swords. (and other weapons and armour).

Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon.  The carbon strengthens the iron to make it both flexible and hard (able to hold an edge)  This allowed swords to be much lighter than their bronze fore bearers but also much stronger and more flexible.  All swords took a high level of skill and a lot of time to produce, this added to their prestige and value hence an elitist mystic surrounds the sword.

Falcata circa 100 BC
Greek or Etruscan in origin 25” overall approx. 2.5 pounds.  The inward curving blade adds extra momentum to slashes compared to a straight blade.  The tempered steel blade is light and flexible.



Bronze Sword circa 0 AD 24” 6 pounds
This bronze sword is cast (molten bronze poured in a mould), then hammered to work harden the edges.  The brittleness of the casting meant this sword needed to be fairly thick with a central rib for extra support.  Bronze is also significantly heavier than steel.  Fierce weapons for their time but inferior to steel weaponry because of weight and durability.  Bronze weapons and armour continued to be used in the remote regions beyond civilization for centuries after the iron age was in full swing.