A scuba diver exploring shallow waters off the Israel coast has found a 900-year-old sword thought to have belonged to a crusader knight.

The Israel Antiques Authority (IAA) said that the sword would be cleaned and analysed after which it would be put on public display.

The big sword, which has a one-metre (3.3ft) blade, was discovered by Shlomi Katzin in shallow waters off Haifa, according to a BBC report. Sharvit, who heads the IAA's Marine Archaeology Unit, said the Carmel coast, where the blade was found, provided shelter for ships during storms.

The Crusades, which began in 1095 and lasted for centuries, involved European Christians mounting missions to the Middle East to capture Jerusalem and other parts of the Holy Land from Muslims.

"It's heavy because of the stones that are glued to it and also because it's an iron sword and very big…That means that the guy that held this sword and fought with it was very strong…He should really be in good fitness, maybe they were bigger than us today but definitely stronger. And it's amazing," BBC cited him as saying.

Also read: 3,000-year-old ‘lost golden city’ unearthed in Egypt