A rare ceramic oil lamp dating back 1,700 years was uncovered near the Mountain of Olives in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Thursday. The lamp, from the late Roman period, is intricately decorated with Jewish symbols: the Temple menorah, an incense shovel, and a lulav (a date palm branch used in Jewish ceremonies).
The lamp, which still includes soot residue on its nozzle, is considered an exceptional find due to its artistic craftsmanship and completeness. Michael Chernin, the excavation director, called it “an outstanding and extremely rare” discovery. The lamp offers a rare glimpse into Jewish life in Jerusalem during the late Roman period, especially after the destruction of the Second Temple and the expulsion of Jews following the Bar Kochba revolt in 135 CE.
Researchers noted that just as Jews today possess items of religious significance, so too did the lamp’s owner, two centuries after the Temple’s destruction.
Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu remarked that the lamp, bearing symbols of the Temple, serves as a poignant connection between ancient Jewish heritage and the modern celebration of Hanukkah. It will be displayed for the first time during the holiday at the National Campus for Archaeology of Israel.
