Yonatan Frankel and the lamp that he found. Credit Yoli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority
A 16-year-old Israeli boy made a remarkable archeological find. He discovered a “unique” 1,600-year-old lamp in the “Scorpions Ascent” located in Israel’s Negev desert. The lamp is thought to have been used by Roman soldiers who guarded a fort on the Scorpions Ascent along what was once an important ancient trade route over which copper, and possibly gold, were transported. Interestingly, an identical lamp was discovered in the same spot 90 years ago.
The lamp was found by Yonatan Frankel, a pupil from the Tamar High School in Hod Hasharon, who was with his class on an annual field trip along the Scorpions Ascent in southern Israel. When his class stopped for lunch next to the Late Roman fort of Mezad Tzafir, Yonatan began to pick up rocks from the sand to look at them.
“One of the stones that I picked up was full of dirt,” he said “I shook it off, and suddenly I saw a design. Then, I understood that this was a man-made object and not just a stone.”
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It seems that in Israel everyday people make such important archeological discoveries.
For example, last December several Israelis serving in IDF reserve duty – just everyday people doing their civic duty – discovered a 1,500-year-old oil lamp dating back to the Byzantine period and did the right thing, they turned in their find. Then in January of this year, another major archeological find was made in Israel by IDF soldiers who discovered a large ancient vessel made of basalt – a mortar – which was used to grind grain which they found in a wrapping in a military assembly area near Gaza.
And in February a hiker discovered an ancient and rare Assyrian amulet in Israel’s Nahal Tabor Nature Reserve in the Lower Galilee.
As for the lamp, Yonatan brought it to his teacher, who showed it to their guide who was responsible and made sure that it was transferred to the Sub-district Archaeologist of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Southern Negev District, Alex Freiberg. Yonatan received a certificate of merit for his discovery and for good citizenship.
The oil lamp discovered at Mezad Tsafir was produced in Petra in Jordan in the 4th-5th centuries CE. When IAA senior researcher Dr. Tali Erickson-Gini saw the lamp, which was only partially intact, she was quite excited.
“We know that between the Nabataean-Roman town of Mamshit and the copper mines of Feinan (biblical Punon) in the Central Arava – not far from present-day Moshav ‘En Yahav, a trade route was in use in the 4th-6th centuries CE,” said senior researcher Dr. Tali Erickson-Gini. “In order to secure the shipments of copper, and possibly even gold from the mines, a series of forts were built between the head of the Scorpions Ascent and Mezad Hazeva, and Mezad Tsafir was one of these. Mounted patrols guarded the important road. It is easy to imagine the lamp lighting up the darkness in the lonely, isolated fort manned by Roman soldiers.”
