Researchers Michael Chernin and Benjamin Storchan with the rare oil lamp- Photographer: Emil Aladjem Israel Antiquities Authority
During an Israel Antiquities Authority excavation near Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives, archaeologists unearthed a rare Late Roman-era ceramic oil lamp. Decorated with images of the Temple menorah, an incense shovel, and a lulav (date palm branch), the lamp—its nozzle marked with soot—was used for lighting roughly 1,700 years ago, offering a fascinating glimpse into Jewish religious and cultural life of that time.
The spectacular oil lamp will be presented to the public for the first time at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel during the Hanukkah holiday as part of the Ministry of Heritage conference.
“The exquisite artistic workmanship of the oil lamp, which was found complete, makes it an outstanding and extremely rare ” says Michael Chernin, excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority. “The menorah, incense shovel and lulav are symbols associated with the Jewish connection to the Temple. This finding is particularly surprising, since, we have very little evidence of the existence of a Jewish settlement in and around Jerusalem from this period. After the Roman emperor Hadrian suppressed the Bar Kochba rebellion in 135 CE, Jews were expelled from the city. The Mount of Olives lamp is one of the few material traces of a Jewish presence around Jerusalem in the 3rd-5th centuries CE.”
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The oil lamp is a “Beit Nattif” type, named after a production workshop identified near Bet Shemesh in the 1930s. Its nozzle and shoulders are decorated with geometric designs, while the center features a detailed depiction of a seven-branched menorah with a tripod base. Oil lamps bearing menorah decorations are extremely rare; only a few similar Beit Nattif examples exist in national archives. The chosen symbols are significant, providing compelling evidence of the connection between daily life and faith among ancient Jerusalem’s inhabitants. It appears the lamp belonged to a Jew who acquired it because of its religious significance and as a remembrance of the Temple.
The oil lamp’s elaborate decoration clearly demonstrates the lamp maker’s dedication and skill. Crafted using intricately carved, two-part (upper and lower) limestone molds fashioned with drills and chisels, the lamp was formed by pressing clay into the molds and then joining them. After firing, the lamp was ready for use. This mold-based production technique enabled refined designs and the inclusion of delicate, intricate ornamentation.
