During routine conservation work at the Zippori National Park, a unique ceramic lamp from the Byzantine period, estimated to be about 1,500 years old, was discovered, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority announced this morning (Sunday). The rare artifact was almost completely preserved, an unusual phenomenon in the archaeology of the Land of Israel.
The Ancient Lamp: “An Expression of Faith, Identity, and Purity”
Teams from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority uncovered the lamp during conservation excavations at the national park in Zippori, located in the Lower Galilee. After cleaning off the soil, they revealed a lamp with a diameter of 18 cm and a height of 19 cm, featuring 55 small openings around its surface.
Dr. Dror Ben-Yosef, the Northern District archaeologist for the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, described the lamp, which was preserved almost entirely intact, as a “relatively rare find in the archaeology of Israel.” He estimated that it was used by the Jewish population of the city, a significant Jewish center during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.
According to Dr. Ben-Yosef, light fixtures like the lamp were more than just lighting devices:
“Lamps and oil fixtures served as expressions of faith, identity, and purity and were connected to cultural and religious practices. The grooves in the lamp helped to diffuse light, and it was operated by inserting a lit oil candle.”
Such artifacts often appear in burial practices and reflect the daily lives of the city’s residents. “It is no surprise that lamps and light fixtures are archaeological finds that shed much light on the beliefs and daily routines of their owners,” concluded Ben-Yosef.
Zippori: A Pivotal Location in Jewish Tradition
Zippori, one of the central cities in the Galilee during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods, was home to the Jewish Sanhedrin and the site of the Mishna’s compilation. In the fifth century CE, as the Christian population of the city grew, its Jewish prominence declined, though it remained a culturally and religiously significant site.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority stated that the lamp would be transferred for further research at the Israel Antiquities Authority and exhibited at the National Archaeology Campus in Jerusalem.
This discovery joins a series of other findings uncovered at Zippori, including magnificent mosaics, public buildings, and ancient streets, all attesting to the city’s glorious past and continuing to attract numerous visitors to the national park.
