2,000-year-old oil lamp found in Jerusalem's City of David
Shaped like a face cut in half, the artifact was likely used as a 'foundation deposit,' researchers said
Israeli archaeologists have discovered a rare oil lamp in the City of David in Jerusalem dating back some 2,000 years ago after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.
Researchers with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said in a statement Wednesday that they think the bronze lamp, shaped like a face cut in half, was likely used as a "foundation deposit" or ritual burial offering to bring good fortune to building structures and their Roman occupants.
It is estimated to date from the end of the 1st century AD.
"Foundation deposits [offerings] were prevalent in the ancient world and were intended for luck and to ensure the longevity of buildings and their occupants. They were usually buried under the floors of buildings or foundations," the IAA said.
The find, on the pilgrimage route to the City of David, also included the wick of the lamp which was exceptionally well preserved.
Jewish pilgrims used the route some 2,000 years ago when they visited the Temple, Judaism's holiest site.
“The offering of this lamp may attest to the importance of the building, which may have been linked to protecting the Siloam Pool, the city's main water source,” said Dr Yuval Baruch and Ari Levy, according to the IAA press release.
"This lamp is a unique find, and as far as we know, the first of its kind to be found in Israel," they added.
The excavations were carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority in the City of David National Park and financed in particular by the Tourism Ministry and the Jerusalem and Heritage Ministry.