CAESAREA, Israel — A chance discovery by two divers uncovered Israel’s biggest find of underwater Roman-era artifacts in three decades, archeologists said Monday as the objects were showcased for the first time.

The treasures were found last month by divers Ran Feinstein and Ofer Raanan when they came across an ancient shipwreck near the port of Caesarea. Standing next to his diving buddy, Raanan recounted the moment the pair realized they had discovered something special.

‘‘It took us a couple of seconds to understand what was going on,’’ Raanan recalled. He said they left the first sculpture on the seabed when they found it, but then when they discovered a second, they realized it was something special and brought it to the surface. They later searched the area and uncovered more ancient artifacts.

The Israel Antiquities Authority sent its divers to investigate and recover the precious Roman-era cargo, which includes bronze statues, lamps, jars, animal-shaped objects, anchors, and thousands of coins with images of Roman emperors Constantine and Licinius.

Some of the objects date to the fourth century, while others are from the first and second centuries, said Jacob Sharvit, director of marine archeology at the IAA.