A buff terracotta Samaritan oil lamp, with a diamond design above the nozzle, a palm branch on each side of the front of the filling hole, with ladder patterns and groups of semi-circles containing lines around. The lamp stands on a ring base. Slight blackening to the nozzle from use.
Holy Land Samaritan: Circa 4th Century AD.
Fine condition; complete and intact.
Length 8.4 cms (3.3 ins).
Published: Item 726: Oil Lamps of the Holy Land: The Adler Collection; Israel 2004
Provenance: Ex Judge Steve Adler collection Jerusalem, acquired since the 1960's. Exported with export approval licence of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The Samaritans occupied the region of modern-day Tel Aviv to Haifa. The Samaritans are not Jewish, Muslim, or Christian. They are a distinct religious group descended from the northern tribes of biblical Israel, specifically the tribes of Ephraim, Menashe, and Levi. They developed a unique culture, including special symbols, art, and oil lamps. The Samaritan lamps are characterized by their shape and decorations and appear from the end of the Roman period to the early Islamic period.