Dimensions: 3 ½ inches long, 2 ¼ inches wide, 1 ¼ inches tall, weighs 83 grams. Provenance: Excavated in Judea in the late 1990’s. Ex Private Tel Aviv Collection. Acquired by the Hamadian Antiquities Gallery in The Old City of Jerusalem. Export to the United States approved by the Israeli Antiquities Authority in 2025. Acquired by The Artifact City Collection in September 2025. Description: Terracotta oil lamp made from a two-part mold. Oil from animal fat or olives was used with a wick to provide lighting. Oil lamps were mass produced in large quantities throughout the Holy Land and surrounding areas. Their use was significant in both Jewish and early Christian religious ceremonies. They were the equivalent of today’s “light bulbs”.
