An intricately decorated ceramic oil lamp, estimated to be 1,700 years old, was unearthed near the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Thursday. The artifact, which bears symbols associated with the Jewish Temple, offers a fascinating insight into historic Jewish traditions.
This discovery coincides with the Hanukkah festival, which lasts eight days and commemorates the Maccabean revolt and the rededication of the second temple. Celebrants light a nine-branched menorah, a symbol also found on the lamp, as well as an incense shovel and a lulav, which recall the religious significance of the festival.
Excavation director Michael Chernin hailed the lamp as an extremely rare find, providing valuable insight into Jewish life at a time when evidence for the existence of Jews in Jerusalem was minimal.
This Beit Nattif lamp uses intricate limestone molds, emphasizing its owner’s likely devotion to the heritage and rituals of the Temple.
Source : Dev Discourse & Israël Valley
Belgium