Hundreds of ancient oil lamps unearthed in Judean Hills

(Worthy News) – The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced Monday that archaeologists working in the Judean Hills city of Beit Shemesh have unearthed a lost cistern containing hundreds of ceramic oil lamps that are 1,600-1,700 years old, the Times of Israel reports.

The find was all the more remarkable as the cistern full of lamps was first discovered by the IAA in 1934, during the British mandate era, but was mysteriously lost and hidden from view until its recent discovery.

Found during preparation for the building of a new neighborhood in Beit Shemesh near Jerusalem, the lamps date back to the Late Roman period (third or fourth century CE). The lamps were reportedly nicknamed the “Beit Nattif lamps” after the nearby Beit Nattif village.

Two of the lamps have the Jewish symbol of the Menorah on them, highlighting the presence of Jews in the area during ancient times. Other lamps have figurines and motifs which, according to Israel Antiquities Authority expert Benyamin Storchan, “tell the story of the Judean Hills in the period following the Bar Kokhba Revolt.”

“From the writings of Josephus, we know that during the Second Temple period, Beit Nattif was a regional administrative center — one of the ten principal cities under Hasmonean rule,” Storchan added.

The announcement about the discovery was made during the Hannukah period in Israel: “The festival of Hanukkah is a wonderful opportunity to tell the public about the recovery of these oil lamps, which was the main method of lighting in ancient times,” the archaeologists noted in a statement.

Latest Worthy News