Rare 1,700-Year-Old Oil Lamp Bearing Temple Symbols Unearthed Near Har Hazeisim

 

A rare ceramic oil lamp from the Late Roman period, adorned with depictions of the Temple menorah, an incense shovel, and a lulav, has been unearthed near the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. This extraordinary find, used for lighting approximately 1,700 years ago, offers a unique glimpse into Jewish cultural and religious life of that era.

Michael Chernin, the Israel Antiquities Authority excavation director, highlighted the lamp’s exquisite craftsmanship and historical significance. “The symbols connect to the Jewish Temple, and its discovery is surprising given the limited evidence of Jewish presence around Jerusalem after the Bar Kochba rebellion in 135 CE,” he said.

Identified as a “Beit Nattif” type lamp, the artifact was made using limestone molds, producing intricate designs, including a seven-branched menorah. According to archaeologist Benjamin Storchan, such lamps are rare, with only a few similar examples in Israel’s National Treasures archive.

Storchan noted that the lamp likely belonged to a Jew who valued its religious significance and connection to the Temple. “The menorah image became a symbol of Jewish identity and collective memory after the Temple’s destruction,” he explained.

Minister of Heritage Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu reflected on the lamp’s symbolic resonance: “It connects the lights of the past with today’s Chanukah holiday, highlighting the enduring bond between the Jewish people, their heritage, and the memory of the Temple.”

The lamp, along with molds used in its creation, will be displayed during Chanukah at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel as part of a Ministry of Heritage conference.