1,700-year-old lamp unearthed in Jerusalem: A glimpse into ancient Jewish rituals 

A rare ceramic oil lamp, decorated with sacred Temple symbols—menorah, incense shovel, and lulav—was discovered near the Mount of Olives during an Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) excavation. The artifact, dating back 1,700 years to the Late Roman period, offers a remarkable window into Jewish cultural and religious life of the time.

Judging by soot marks on its nozzle, the lamp was actively used for lighting nearly two millennia ago. "The exquisite artistic workmanship of the lamp, which was found complete, makes it an outstanding and extremely rare find,” said Michael Chernin, excavation director with the IAA.

“The menorah, incense shovel, and lulav are symbols closely tied to the Jewish connection to the Temple," Chernin explained. "This discovery is particularly surprising because we have little evidence of a Jewish presence in and around Jerusalem from this period. After the Bar Kochba rebellion was crushed in 135 CE, Jews were expelled from the city. This lamp is one of the few material traces of Jewish life near Jerusalem in the 3rd-5th centuries CE.”

The lamp is identified as belonging to the “Beit Nattif” type, a style linked to a production workshop discovered in the 1930s near Beit Shemesh. Its nozzle and shoulders feature geometric designs, while the center displays a detailed depiction of the seven-branched menorah on a tripod base.

According to Benjamin Storchan, an IAA research archaeologist, menorah-decorated oil lamps are exceedingly rare, with only a few similar examples preserved in Israel’s National Treasures archive.

“The choice of symbols on the lamp is not accidental,” Storchan noted. “This artifact provides fascinating testimony to how everyday objects carried deep religious meaning for ancient Jerusalem’s inhabitants. The lamp likely belonged to a Jew who chose it for its spiritual connection and as a memorial to the Temple.”

* Bihadrei Haredim contributed to this article.